Shots in the Shadows
by sharpiewritesforfun
Summary: Tales of a Ghost Adventures crew photographer. Zak/OC
1. A New Thing to Add to My Resume

It's claustrophobic. It smells. Worst of all, it's loud. It's a bar, and I would rather be standing behind the dumpsters at the local Chinese restaurant.  
I had never been interested in the sport of alcohol consumption. Virgin for me, please. The only bars I had ever been near were restaurant bars, as if those even counted.  
Yet here I was in a dank little country bar located out behind the Philips 66 off of the highway, being led by the hand by my Aunt Patch. It was four in the afternoon and the woman was dolled up in a teal, flowing blouse that was decked out in Bohemian medallions and rhinestones, blinged-out jeans and tan knee- high boots. She had left her long blonde hair down and caked on the eyeliner behind her favorite pair of purple glasses. The old hippie looked ridiculous, and yet, she still had more style than I did.

"Come on, come on," she sang over a Toby Keith song blasting from the speakers mounted on the wood panel walls.

As if I didn't already have indigestion from stress at work. Country music was NOT going to help me.

"Patch!" I whined as we weaved around the tables.

"Oh Michael, please relax. A little drink is what you really need," she said.

Yeah right. Budweiser for the soul. Right again, Aunt Patch!

"Patch, you know I don't drink," I said as we approached the bar.

"With the way you wait hand and foot on that job of your's, I'm surprised you don't."

I groaned. All I wanted to do was go home. There was a cheesy musical waiting for me on the Turner Classic Movie channel. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my phone and checked it once again for any messages or missed calls.

"See what I mean, Michael?" she asked, "Put that phone away!"

Aunt Patch lightly slapped my hand. I glared at her.

"Patch, I told you in the car that I've been waiting for an important call," I told her.

Aunt Patch's gray eyes watched me over the rims over her Willy Wonka purple glasses.

"Since when?" she asked.

I looked down at the countertop and to the dark screen on my phone.

"This morning," I murmured.

I jumped when she replied.

"Oh dear Lord, Michael. That job has got you tied down tighter than Elvis Presley's pants. How's about getting tied down to a man? Put that phone away. I'm sure there are some nice guys here," she said.

I stared at Aunt Patch.

"You're kidding," I said flatly.

She gripped my forearm tightly, her robin's egg blue fingernails digging into my skin. I knew she was trying to make it looked like she was amused and not secretly irritated. Everyone in my family had been trying to get me to find someone, but not as much as Aunt Patch. My time was dedicated to my job and that is how it was going to be. I enjoyed my independence.  
The front door burst open and in walked several older men, probably in their mid to late 60's, wearing flannel shirts, Wranglers, and cowboy hats and boots.

"Hey Charlie! Look!" one of the gruff ranchers shouted over some awful piece of music, if one could call it that, "It's Miss Patches!"

The men whooped and shouted and Aunt Patch squealed in delight as she made her way over to them, giving them all a hug and a few a kiss on the cheek.  
I groaned and turned back to face the passing bartender.

"What would you like, miss?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to reply when my phone buzzed in my hand. I looked up from the screen to the bartender, who waved me off understandingly.

"Sorry," I said and quickly answered the call.

I had to plug up my free ear with my index finger to even hear who was speaking on the other end.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Is this Michael Wilde?" a man asked.

My mind was rejoicing and mouth almost could not react.

"One moment please," I said.

I could sense aggravation through the phone. I winced and quickly dove out of the bar as fast as I could. I knew the man could probably hear the loud music and voices, and probably even the clinking of beer bottles that was distinctly bar noises. Not the sounds you want your new boss to hear.  
I stepped out into the gravel parking lot. The noise was not much better outside. The wind was picking up and the whirring of semis could be heard from the highway. However, it was better than inside the bar.

"I'm sorry about that," I said into my phone, "This is Michael Wilde."

The man on the other end chuckled.

"That's alright. Sounds like a party is going on," he said quite casually.

My rejoicing thoughts began to fade with oncoming disappointment. By the casual tone of the man's voice, I felt like it wasn't the call I had been waiting all day for.

"Oh, something is going on, I suppose," I said sarcastically.

Automatically, when I got nervous, I would try to be funny. I mentally slapped myself, seeing as this might be a job opportunity and clowning around would not get my anywhere.  
The man chuckled again.

"Well, anyway, my name is Aaron Goodwin. I'm from the Travel Channel," he said, the paused at the perfect moment.  
Did I hear him right? Travel Channel? _The_ Travel Channel?

"_The_ Travel Channel?" I repeated my thoughts allowed.

"Haha! Yes, _The_ Travel Channel," he replied, "my team and I received your resume and portfolio. We decided a few months ago we needed a photographer and you seem like the perfect person for the job."

"I am?" I asked, surprised.

I was just a dinky little photographer that worked for the local paper. I did not think pictures of the Christmas parade and construction sites were anything special.

"Yes, we really like your work. Would you be interested in coming to work with us?" he asked.

"Of course!" I blurted before my brain kicked in gear.

I didn't even know what I had applied for!

"Wait! Who am I working for?" I asked.

The man named Aaron Goodwin laughed.

"Sorry, I should have mentioned that we're from 'Ghost Adventures'."

If I had actually taken Aunt Patch's advice and had had a drink, I would have either choked or had done your classic spit-take. At the mention of 'Travel Channel,' I thought that I was talking to the manager of shows that did the top beaches or hotels and resorts. But "Ghost Adventures?"

"Um, wow! Well, I should let you know now that I am no paranormal investigator," I said.

Aaron made a noise that sounded like his tongue clicked with the back of his teeth.

"Yes, we were aware of that," he said slowly.

My brain was screaming, "Say something other than that! You idiot! A job is a job!"

"B-but I _am_ a fan of the show," I said quickly.

"Well, Mr. Wilde-"

I'm just going to say now, this always happens. My name may be Michael, but I am definitely not a guy.

"Miss. Sorry," I interrupted.

Aaron laughed.

"Well, even better. Are you familiar with blogging?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," I said.

"Well, the guys and I decided on doing a blog, but none of us have enough hands to carry more than one camera. We saw some of your photography from last fall online and thought you would be perfect. We love the darkness and creepiness you captured on some of your cemetery photos. We would like you to travel with us and do our blog photography. Would you be interested?"

I pulled the phone away from my face and did a small victory dance.

"Yes, I would love to shoot for you guys!" I replied.

"Great!" he said.

Through the phone, I could hear someone else speaking. The person sounded male. Aaron's voice suddenly sounded distant as he replied to the other person.

"Yes, and she said yes, she would love to be our photographer," I heard Aaron said.

Suddenly, a "woohoohoo" and the unmistakable sound of high-fives could be heard over Aaron's laughing.

"Sorry," Aaron apologized, "That was Zak."

Now, even though I am a fan of the show and did not immediately recognize Aaron's name, I could not forget Zak Bagans, the host of the show.

"He sounded excited," I commented.

"Yeah, he is. He's the one who found you online," Aaron replied.

I was not surprised, considering Zak's dark style.

"Makes sense," I said.

"Oh yes," Aaron agreed, "I think he liked your style."

"Awesome," I said.

Aaron was quiet again and I could faintly hear Zak's distinctive voice. Then, Aaron spoke again.

"So Miss Wilde, when are you available to start?" he asked.

I was caught off guard. I had not even had time to process that I had landed a new job. I still had to call my bosses in the morning to tell them I was resigning, not to mention pick my stuff up from my cubicle. Haha, my cubicle. I hated that thing, and now I never had to see it again! This was awesome!

"Miss Wilde?"

"Oh, sorry. Um, immediately?" I said, then chewed my nails nervously.

"That's awesome! We would like you to start on the day of our next lockdown. Travel is paying for your flight," Aaron said.

"When is the lockdown?" I asked.

"Uhh, crap! Just a moment," he said, then from a distance I heard Aaron yell to Zak.

"What?" I heard Zak call.

"When is our next lockdown?" Aaron asked.

"Uh...shit. It's not tomorrow is it?" I heard Zak ask.

"No! You're joking!" Aaron exclaimed.

There was a mumbling and then I heard Zak yell to a guy named Nick, who I believe was the other guy on the team. There was shuffling and noises before I loud thumping across what I believe was shoes across the floor.

"Dude, give me the phone and go call whatsherface at the offices. We're supposed to be on a plane to Louisiana already," I heard Zak say.

"Are you serious?" Aaron exclaimed.

"Go on!" Zak growled.

The phone was exchanged and I heard Zak clear his throat before he spoke.

"Miss Wilde? It's Miss, right?" he asked.

"Yes. Just call me Michael," I said.

My heart was racing a mile a minute. I was becoming slightly starstruck at the fact I was actually speaking to people I had seen on TV.

"Michael, sorry. This is Zak Bagans from 'Ghost Adventures.' I'm sorry we couldn't get a hold of you sooner," he said.

_Me too._

"That's fine," I said.

"Well, it may not be if some people don't get their junk in gear. Listen, we would really like you to start tomorrow. We have a special place to lock down at but I know this is short notice. Where are you located at?"

"Arkansas," I replied.

"Really? We're located in Little Rock at the moment," Zak said.

I looked at my watch, noticing that it was nearly five o' clock.

"Well, look. I'm in Fayetteville. I could pack up and drive to you guys. I could be there before midnight," I said quickly.

That is, as quickly as I could drag Aunt Patch out of the bar.

"Zak!" I heard one of the guys shout.

"Excuse me," Zak said, "What?"

"Dude, there aren't any available flights right now. We're going to have to drive."

"We'll never make it in time!" Zak exclaimed.

"Where's the photographer?"

"Fayetteville. It's not that far from here but-"

"Zak, calm down!" I heard Aaron say, "Travel is rearranging our plans. Lockdown will now be the day after tomorrow."

I heard Zak sigh.

"Michael?" Zak asked.

"Yes?" I asked.

"It looks like we're driving. Just warning you now, you'll be stuck with us in the van from Fayetteville to New Orleans," he said, a hint of relief evident in his voice.

"It's no problem," I said.

"Good," Zak said, now sounding not so tense, "pack up everything you'll need. We're packing the van up and coming to pick you up."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

Zak laughed.

"Yes, Michael. Text your address to this number and we'll call you if we get lost," he said.

I turned on my heel and quickly headed back towards the bar to fetch Aunt Patch. I had absentmindedly made it all the way to the dollar store next door to the gas station.

"You guys don't have to drive all the way for me. If it's too much of a problem I could catch a flight to New Orleans from Tulsa or-"

"Michael, you're part of the 'Ghost Adventures' crew. You're our problem now," Zak said jokingly.

A weird warmth and tingling goosebumps spread across my arms. I had never been on any sort of "crew" before. I felt suddenly...included.

"We'll see you in a few hours," Zak said.

"Okay. Thanks for picking me," I said quickly.

Zak chuckled.

"You're welcome. See you soon, Michael," he said.

"Okay, bye," I said.

"BYE MICHAEL!" I heard Aaron scream.

"Aaron, shut up!" I heard Zak shout before he quickly hung up.

I laughed and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

Finally, my problems were over. No more boring days typing away on an old computer in a stuffy office building and having to listen to boring people during interviews and taking tasteless pictures for the newspaper. Finally I got to fulfill my dream of taking real pictures that matched my tastes. And Aunt Patch said all those black and white shots of tombstones were a waste of time. Ha!


	2. Bagans

So, usually when I'm told to set my alarm for 6:30 in the morning, I usually have no problem getting out of bed and getting ready. However, with the cold front that came in and the sleepy drizzle outside the motel, I found it hard to part ways with the scratchy covers. My phone alarm, iPod alarm, the clock alarm, and my alarm on my laptop did nothing to help wake me up. I just let them run. It wasn't until I heard Zak bang on our door did I open my eyes.

"Get up, Michael! We're going to be late!"

We were not. It was only 6:32 a.m.

"Nick took the van to get gas so be ready in-oh, fuck if I know. An hour, maybe?" he said with a grouchy tone.

Zak Bagans? Yeah, he's not always a morning person.

"Yes, mother!" I called.

I learned quickly after joining the crew who was the maternal figure. Zak. Yeah, who knew? I couldn't blame him, though. When you had Nick and Aaron doing midnight shenanigans in hotel hallways, someone had to be the boss. I loved all of them, though. They were the best people you will ever meet.  
Now, calling Zak 'mother' was not the smartest thing in the world. I knew I would get threatened, as I often did, but you never know. Zak may be in for the kill this time. It was okay, though. I had a weapon.  
Back on my first lockdown, we were in New Orleans and Nick and Aaron were pulling off their usual pranks. Aaron had found a crawfish in the mud, threw it at Zak, and the poor creature attached itself to the end of Zak's nose. I had never imagined such girlish screams could come out of a guy like Zak, but it happened. The prank made amazing pictures that I told Zak I had deleted, but I secretly kept them in case of something like death threats.  
I had Aaron to protect me, though. I think Aaron liked me the moment he called me to say that I landed the job with the crew. I was the "new kid" I guess, and Aaron was always pushing me back with his hand, telling me when it was safe to cross the street, even when the road was deserted. Nick had chased me with a fake dismembered head the last time we visited a Halloween Express and Aaron and Zak both were right in the middle of it-Aaron rescuing me and Zak yelling at Nick. Poor guy.  
There was a honk outside from one of our vans, and I assumed I was the only one not up and ready to go.

"But I'm warm!" I whined out loud.

"Mikey, we have an eight hour drive to the next lockdown and you better not make us late!" I heard Nick yell from outside my window.

I groaned and unwillingly rolled out of bed.

It was cold as hell outside. The guys had pulled the vans up and Nick was packing the last of the bags into one of the vans. Steam immediately came out of my nose as I stepped out of my room and handed my luggage to Nick. Zak was standing off to the side watching and shivering. We were all cold, and we all looked like bums. Nick, Aaron, and Billy were all dressed in heavy jackets and jeans, while the rest of us were wearing baggy sweatpants and hoodies. None of us even had our hair fixed. Zak's black hair was limp under one of his baseball caps. He wore his black rimmed glasses over tired eyes, a black hoodie, and gray sweatpants tucked into brown boots. He didn't look much different than me, wearing black sweats, worn out Airwalk loafers with furry insides, and a pine green hoodie.  
I shuffled over to Zak to be polite and say good morning. He was my boss, after all. Had to kiss up.

"Hey," I said.

Zak looked down at me and gave me a sleepy smile.

"Hey," he croaked out.

I knew the cold air and smell of the exhaust from the vans hurt his throat, but he liked to watch and help load up before we hit the road.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

Aaron interrupted before I could reply.

"Dude, Mikes. You look exhausted," he observed.

I caught a look of concern sweep over Zak's face.

"I was just going through those photos to-"

"Oh, Michael!" Zak groaned.

I lowered my head like a dog in trouble. Two nights ago, we had investigated an old cemetery with the boys. It was the first lockdown they had let me go on, and I made sure to snap as many pictures as I could-and therefore, having a lot of files to analyze later.

"I told you we would help you look through those," Zak said.

I sighed.

"I was too anxious," I said defensively.

"When did you get to sleep?" Aaron asked, "Midnight? One? Two?"

I groaned.

"Um, 3:45-ish," I said, keeping my eyes downcast.

Nick walked up to us and matched the look of shock on Aaron's face.

"Michael!" Zak said, almost scoldingly.

"Dude, that's pushing it," Nick said to me.

"Did you find anything?" Aaron asked.

I shook my head.

"I don't know," I replied, "I was too tired."

Nick smiled and shook his head. Zak grasped my shoulder with one of his ringed hands.

"That's alright," said Zak, "I'll help you look later. C'mon. You can get some sleep in the van."

"Mikey, who are you riding with?" Billy called to me as the circle broke apart.

"It'll be much quieter in this van," he added.

Before my brain could tell my mouth to reply, Aaron's arms wrapped around my waist and I was lifted off of my feet and into the guys' van.

"Nope! She's coming with us!" Aaron said and hauled me into the back seat.

"Aaron!" I complained.

I turned around in the van.

"It's okay, Billy!" I called to him, "I'll be fine!"

Billy shrugged and then waved as he took his seat in the other van. I shut the sliding door and turned to sit down beside Zak.

"Dude! Turn the heat on! It's freezing balls!" Aaron griped from the front seat.

"Would you calm down?" Nick snapped, "I'm working on it."

I stuffed my hands my hands in my front pocket. My back muscles tensed and my shoulders were level with my ears. Aaron wasn't lying.

"That's okay," Zak murmured to me.

I looked over to see Zak pull some heavy wool blankets from the back.

"We have blankets," he said and winked.

He handed me a crimson one and I quickly wrapped myself in it, but it didn't help.

"Zak, these are frozen. They've been in the van all night," I said.

Zak kicked off his boots and wrapped his socked feet under his blanket.

"Are you still cold?" he asked.

I sniffed and nodded. Zak twisted so that his back was against the door and leaned forward to grab me and pull me into his lap. I was shocked to say the least, but he was warm and I dared not complain.

"Zak," I began, but he hushed me.

"Just go to sleep," he said, then leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

Nervous and afraid to move, I leaned back onto his chest. There was no way I could sleep now. I mean, not like this! Zak's massive arms moved and he held me like I was nothing but a teddy bear. Or maybe a doll. I shifted on his chest and when my nose caught a whiff of his cologne through the heavy blankets, my body untwisted and I finally got comfortable. Zak always smelled nice, as did the other guys.

"Warm?" he asked softly.

"Mhmm," I said, thinking the simple sound of approval would be enough, because words were failing me.

"Good," he said groggily.

I closed my eyes, knowing full well I could not sleep. But sleeping on top of Zak was comforting, especially after what happened in St. Louis several weeks ago. Zak equalled safety, and that was enough to let me drift off to sleep.

Several weeks ago, we were spending the night in a tiny Days Inn on the edge of St. Louis, Missouri. Usually, we slept in fairly nice hotels close to our lockdowns, but for some reason or another, the hotel we were going to stay at screwed up our reservations. Nick and Aaron were bummed, and Zak was pissed. I guess I couldn't blame him, but a hotel is a hotel, and we would just have to make the best of it.  
It was late at night when we checked in. All of us were tired and needed sleep and space from each other. I had just slipped out of the van when Nick came running up to me.

"Dude, Mikes. You should take a few pictures for the blog," he said, a cheesy grin on his face.

I stretched my arms and shook my head. I was sore and not really in the mood for goofing off.

"Of this place?" I asked.

Nick giggled.

"Yeah. We can title them 'Bullshit'," he said.

I just shook my head and smiled. Aaron had his camcorder out. He threw an arm around Nick and begin recording for his vlog.

"Aaron's Vlog," he said.

"Aaron's Vlog!" Nick sang.

In the background, I saw Zak give the guys a confused look. I really hoped they captured that on camera, because it was priceless.

"We've just arrived at Camp Bullshit," Aaron said and then laughed as he looked around at the not-so-fancy hotel.

Zak interrupted Aaron's fun when he came up to pass out our key cards.

"Aaron, stop," Zak ordered.

Aaron pouted and pretended to turn his camera off. Nick and I knew full well that he didn't.

"Okay, here's our keys," Zak began.

"Whoa, bro. That's not enough keys," Nick pointed out.

Zak glared at the younger man.

"I know. They didn't have enough vacancies. You guys are going to have to pair up," Zak said.

I raised an eyebrow at Zak. I was the only girl on the team and I hoped that he was kidding.

"Mikey, you get your own room," Zak said and handed me a card.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank God," I said.

Nick and Aaron both pouted at me.

"I see how it is!" Nick said and turned away and pretended to cry.

"Michael hates us, Nick," Aaron cried and sniffed and wiped away invisible tears.

"Oh, like I want to be stuck in a room with you guys!" I said jokingly.

"Yeah, Aaron farted all the way here," Zak said.

I laughed at the look of shock on the cameraman's face.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in a room with Aaron, either," Nick agreed.

Aaron shoved the smaller man, almost knocking him over.

"Well, you guys are both in Billy's room on the top floor above mine," Zak said and handed the other guys a key to their room.

"Wait, Zak. You got your own room?" Aaron asked.

"It was the only other one with no smoking," he explained.

Aaron was obviously a little peeved by this, and I had a feeling he would be cranky by morning.

"Okay, guys. Everyone go to bed. We have an interview with the news channel in the morning before our lockdown," Zak said.

The guys nodded and grabbed their bags out of the van headed for the stairs. Zak grabbed my camera bag out of the van and handed it to me before grabbing his own bags. I found my suitcase in the other van and then followed Zak to our ground level rooms behind the staircase. As I followed him, I looked up at the yellowing lights that were covered in bugs. The ground was littered with cigarette butts and the corners were stuffed with gum and wrappers.

"This place is sketchy," Zak said over his shoulder.

I nodded in agreement, even though he couldn't see me.

"Here's my room," Zak announced.

Mine was (thankfully) right next door. I sat my suitcase upright and quickly swiped my card to unlock my door. As I opened the door and swung my suitcase inside, Zak grabbed my attention.

"Hey," he said.

I looked back out the door to see him standing in his own doorway.

"Make sure to lock that door when you get in," he said.

I nodded.

"I will," I said.

If there was anything Zak cared about more than ghosts, it was the crew. Being the only female on the crew made him slightly overprotective of me. I wasn't completely bothered by this hotel. I had been to my fair share of less than favorable hotels. However, in a setting like this, I welcomed his promise of safety.

"If anything goes wrong, bang on the wall," he continued, "Like, if you see a spider or something."

I laughed.

"Zak, I'm not scared of spiders," I said.

Zak smiled and leaned against the door jamb.

"I know," he said with a wink.

"But if I see any snakes, I'll be sure to let you know," I said jokingly.

Zak didn't like snakes very much...at all!

"Hey! Don't joke about that kind of stuff!" he scolded, his usual serious tone quickly returning as if he was getting onto Aaron.

"Whatever. Goodnight, Zak," I said.

"Night, Michael," he said, and stood watched until I shut the door, locking it loudly so he could hear.

Early the next morning, my stomach groaned and my intestines felt like they were twisting into knots. I had a bottle of TUMS in my makeup bag, but could not for the life of me make myself get up and pop a few.  
I rolled over onto my back, instantly regretting that I did. My stomach cramped up immediately. I pushed my hand under my shirt and gently rubbed my angry tummy in hopes that the pain would subside. It did not take long for it to do so, and before I could roll back on my side, a noise Aaron was so famous for sounded and I knew I had about 30 seconds to make it to the toilet.  
I quickly threw off the blanket I had snatched from the van, for I didn't dare lift the floral covers on the bed, and shuffled across the matted carpet to the small bathroom.

"Oh, I knew I'd regret eating that pizza," I said to myself.

The night before, the boys decided they wanted to stop for pizza. Let me tell you, it was the greasiest pie I had ever had in my life, but hunger kept me for ordering a side salad like my brain had suggested.  
When I came back out of the bathroom to wash my hands, I checked the time on my cell phone that had been charging by the sink. Yes, I know. Perfect place to keep your phone. However, the outlet by the tiny hair dryer was the only one in the room available. So, doing what I had to do, I plugged it in there and placed my phone in the ice bucket in an attempt to keep it safe from tumbling in the the sink.  
The time said 5:46 a.m. I was supposed to be ready and in the van by 7:00, and my alarm was set for 6:15. So, feeling awake and in need of a shower, I returned to the bathroom and turned the knob to let the water warm up. I looked above the toilet to the towel rack and noticed a small window. It was frosted and rectangular in shape. It had to be a little bit bigger than a brick, but I found it odd that they would put a window in the ground floor bathrooms. If they were going to do it, it would have made more sense to install them on the upper level bathrooms only, right? Whatever.  
I left the bathroom to retrieve the clothes I was going to wear that day and returned to the bathroom. I closed the toilet lid and sat my clothes down on top. When I reached up to grab a towel, my eyes caught a glimpse of the window and I froze. There was a tannish pink color behind the close, blurring everything. However, when my brain finally realized what I was looking at, I distinctly was able to make out a smashed nose and eyes.  
I screamed, causing the peeper to get scared and take off. Forgetting the shower was on, I tore off threw the room, unlocked my door, and ran next door to Zak's room.

"ZAK!" I yelled, banging on the metal door as hard as I could.

Zak emerged in no time, walking out in his black on black sleepwear. Before I even knew what I was doing, I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and held to him for dear life. His arms wrapped around me and his voice was in my ear, trying to soothe the crying that up until the time he said "Shh, it's alright," I had not realized was coming from me.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked.

I looked up to see worried eyes watching me.

"There was somebody!" I cried out, "They were watching me through the window in the bathroom!"

Zak's light blue eyes darkened in anger. A flash of movement came out of the corner of my eye. I looked to see a man scrambling between the dumpsters in an attempt to hide.

"There he is!" I said, pointing toward the dumpsters.

Zak's hands gripped my shoulders as he looked in the direction I was pointing.

"Where?" he asked.

"Between those dumpsters," I said.

There was a crash from the dumpsters. Zak knelt down to me, looking at me directly in the eyes.

"Go up to 215. The guys are up. Have someone call 911. I'll be right back," he said.

Zak bounded across the parking lot like a lion after it's prey. I did as I was told and ran up the staircase in front of our rooms, yelling Aaron, Nick, and Billy's name before I even reached the door. Nick came out of the room first, followed by Aaron.

"Mikey! What's wrong?" he asked.

"There was a pervert watching me through my bathroom window," I explained.

Aaron reached around Nick and pulled me into a hug. Yelps of pain and the unmistakable sound of fists hitting flesh could be heard across the parking lot.

"Um, where's Zak?" Nick asked.

Before I could reply, Zak's screaming and cursing could be heard across the parking lot.

"Dude!" Nick shouted, "Billy, call the cops!"

I wrapped my arms around Aaron. I just wanted to pack up, leave, and get on with the day. I had not been scared for my life at any kind of hotel-even one as crappy as this one.

"You're safe now," Aaron said softly.

"I'm going to go help Zak," Nick said, "Billy, did you get them?"

I could hear Billy approach.

"Yeah, they're on their way," he replied.

"Okay, good. Zak, I'm coming!" Nick called.

I turned away from Aaron to catch Nick.

"Nick, don't!" I shouted.

It was too late. Nick was already taking the stairs two by two. I could faintly see Zak in the dawn light beating the living shit out of the squirm that had been peeping on me.

Apparently, Zak and Nick's takedown of the peeping tom had labeled them heroes, because the cops said they had been after the guy for a while. The cops were speaking with the guys and the hotel manager when Aaron and I came running out to them. I gave Nick a hug, then Zak.

"Are you alright?" I asked Zak when he let go.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He ain't, though," he said, pointing the creep whose face had been beaten to a bloody pulp.

I cringed and turned back around.

"Thank-you," I said.

Zak threw an arm casually around my shoulders.

"It's no problem," he said.

The police spoke to me and Zak before shaking hands with the guys and taking the peeper to jail. We all stood in the parking lot in silence. Zak and Nick were still trying to catch their breath. I had not realized I was shaking until Zak brought it up, being able to feel it on his arm.

"You alright, Mikes?" he asked.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine," I replied.

"He could have easily gotten in and done worse than looked," Nick said.

"Oh God," I groaned turning and burying my face in Zak's shirt.

"Nick, stop it," Zak said, his hand sliding down to my arm, "Let's just forget this whole mess and go pack up and get some breakfast."

Suddenly, Aaron got excited.

"Ooo! Ihop?" he asked.

Zak was silent as he looked down to me.

"Let's let Michael pick today, guys," he said.

Aaron silently begged like a child, mouthing the word "Ihop." How could I say no?

"Ihop's fine with me," I said.

The boys jumped up and down in excitement and quickly ran back to their rooms to pack up their belongings. Zak did not leave my side until lockdown.

"Aaron's Vlog," I heard Aaron say over the sound of the radio and the windshield wipers.

"Dude, don't," Nick said.

"Shut up, Nick," Aaron said.

"Aaron, stop! He's going to kill you!" Nick hissed.

I peeked out of one eye to see Aaron holding his camera in front of his face. I quickly closed it and pretended I was asleep. Maybe if he thought I was asleep, he wouldn't film me. I couldn't get up if I wanted to anyways. After falling asleep on top of the lead investigator, his wrist had slid into the crook of my neck and his hand was dangling above my face. His heavy arm kept me pinned to him, and the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got.

"_You're sleeping on one of your bosses_"

Shut up, Brain!

"Awe, look at those two sleepy heads," Aaron said.

I cracked an eyelid to see Aaron pointing to Zak and I.

"Just a couple of love birds snuggled up together in the backseat," Aaron said.

I felt a sudden movement beneath me. I looked up just in time to see one of Zak's tattooed arms swing out and smack Aaron's bald head.

"Ouch! Hey!" Aaron whined.

"Told you," I heard Nick say.

"Knock it off, guys," Zak said.

I sat up and pushed my loose hair out of my face. When I looked up at Zak, he had this adorable smile plastered to his face.

"Did you sleep good?" he asked.

I smiled and laid back down.

"You make a good bed, Bagans," I said.

Zak laughed. Aaron whistled and Zak proceeded to smack him again. Oh, it was going to be a good day.


	3. Love is the End

"What?" I exclaimed.

Billy and Aaron both exchanged glances of fear and they quickly took off for the house's front door.

"You heard me!" Zak called from behind me as he ascended the lockdown's creaky old stairs.

I spun around and quickly flashed a terrible picture of Zak's backside.

"What the hell?" he stopped and asked me.

I moved my camera under my arm like a purse and ran after Zak. He stood with his legs spread between two stairs and watched me as I climbed the stairs.

"You told me I could lock down with you guys tonight," I said.

"That's what she said!" Nick sang as he passed by the stairs with a camera.

"Nick!" Zak barked.

He clearly wasn't in the mood.

"What's changed?" I asked.

Zak's facial expressions softened and he stepped down to my stair.

"Look, Mikey. There's been a lot of shit to go down in this house. A lot of demonic shit. I feel it's too dangerous. I want you to stay at base with Billy tonight," he said.

The front door squeaked open and Aaron returned. He looked slightly frightened and ducked his head as he went to join Nick.

"Oh, come on, Zak! I can do this," I begged.

"No," he replied sternly.

"Zak, please! I'm not scared," I continued.

"No way. I want you to snap a few shots of the location and us for the next blog entry and then help Billy watch the monitors," Zak said.

Aaron appeared beneath the stairs with one of the cameras.

"Oh, come on, Zak," he said, "Let her try."

"No! A cemetery is one thing but shit like this is a completely different ball game."

"Well, what if I stayed with her, man?" Aaron asked.

"What? No! Aaron, I need you with me," Zak said.

"Just let me try! Please, Zak, please!" I begged.

Zak gave me a weird look. I could tell he was debating on whether or not he should let me lock down with them.

"Let her, man. All three of us will be in here. Plus, we have way too many X's down. We could let her cover one," Aaron said.

Zak sighed and put his hands on his hips like the Mr. Dramatic that he was.

"Fine!" Zak groaned.

"Really?" Aaron and I asked in unison.

Zak threw his hands in the air.

"Yes! Yes! Yes, you can lock down with us. But, I swear to God, Mikey. If anything happens I'm throwing your ass out," he said.

I smiled at Zak and held my hand out.

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Bagans," I said.

Zak rolled his eyes and shook my hand.

"Dammit," he muttered.

Aaron lifted his camera high enough to be level with Zak, giggling the entire time.

"I'll throw you out, too!" Zak exclaimed.

"Oh, whatever!" Aaron retorted.

Zak pushed the camera away and began to stalk up the stairs.

"Party pooper," Aaron said, but Zak didn't hear.

Aaron and I waited until Zak turned down the hallway before voicing victory and giving each other high-fives.

That night, I felt like a kid getting that manners lecture before Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's. I followed Zak up the stairs with Aaron and Nick to the first bedroom.

"This is the bedroom with the bathroom that has the weird mirrors," Zak began.

"Weird mirrors?" I asked.

Zak led me into a tiny blue bathroom that was just as antique as the rest of the old Queen Anne we were getting locked down in.

"Yeah. The owners says that the ghosts like the write messages on the glass when the hot water is left running in the shower. You know how mirrors steam up and stuff," he said.

"Charlotte's Web, anyone?" Nick asked.

Zak smiled at Nick.

"I know, right? Okay, Mikes, what I want you to do is start the shower. I would suggest not actually using it if I were you," Zak went on.

Aaron laughed and murmured something to Nick, causing him to snort and try his hardest not to laugh.

"Grow up, Aaron!" Zak growled, "Michael, I want you to get the mirror good and steamy and take some shots of it. See if you can capture any writing or shapes or something. Here's your walkie-talkie."

Zak handed me a black, high-dollar walkie-talkie with a holster that I could clip to my belt loops.

"I have the other one so if anything happens you can call me. I'll get here as soon as I can. We were going to film this bathroom and the bedroom but there's too much to investigate in the kitchen and the basement," Zak explained.

Oh, of course. This was the second floor. He would never make it up here in time if he was in the basement and I was really in trouble.

"We have a static night vision camera set up in the corner of the bedroom," Zak said and lead me back out to show my the camera sitting on a tripod in the corner of the room.

"So if anything shows up you won't have to worry about capturing it 'cause that camera will," he said.

I nodded.

"You got this, Mikes?" he asked, a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded eagerly.

"Definitely," I said.

Zak smiled and lead the guys out of the room. But before he shut off the lights and closed the door, he turned back around to me.

"And remember, the-"

"Walkie-talkie," I finished, "Don't worry, Zak."

Zak laughed nervously.

"Right. Well, have fun, Mikey," he said.

"Oh, I will," I said.

And with that, Zak shut off the bedroom lights and closed the door.

"Oh God," I complained to myself.

I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. During the interview with the owner, I was outside with the rest of the crew having Taco Bell in the back of the van, so I had no idea what went on in this house. Cemeteries, forts, hospitals, and other commercial buildings were one thing, but houses were some of the most highly active places for supernatural activity. I had only done one lockdown previous to this, and thought I could handle it. However, with Zak, Nick, and Aaron downstairs and almost too far away to hear me, I began to get a little nervous. I mean, I was going to be stuck here for twelve hours unless Zak called me.  
Getting my mind back on work, I turned on my camera and walked into the bathroom. It was cute and daintily decorated. It was like stepping into the bathroom of Mary Poppins or something. I felt less nervous about the bathroom, as it also reminded me of my grandmother's bathroom. This was nothing like I had imagined. When I saw the outside of the mansion, I feared it would be something out of the Addams Family, but this was no television show-well, technically it is, but this was a real building where real people lived...and died.  
I shivered and looked out the window over the little white shutters. The sun was no longer visible, but the grounds of the estate was covered in a dark blue hue and lights on radio towers could be seen in the distance. The white vans were parked in the gravel drive and I could see Billy walking out to the base tent with what looked like one of the infrared cameras. I took a deep breath and sighed. This was too normal, but the house still held an eerie feeling. Zak had mentioned that some serious shit had gone down here, but he neglected to tell me what. Maybe that's why I was nervous.  
"What you don't know can't hurt you," I said to myself as I took a picture of the grounds.

I knew that was bullshit, though. I turned around and switched the bathroom light on. In the dead center of the white ceiling was nothing but an exposed lightbulb. Looking closer, I noticed some wiring that had not been capped off. Not good, considering this was a bathroom and Zak had told me to run the water and make it as humid as possible.  
I knew some things about the paranormal before I took the job. I used to watch the shows on the Discovery Channel, as well as "Ghost Adventures," and had even done my own ghost hunting. My friends and I had dared tour the haunted 1886 Crescent Hotel one Halloween, so I learned several things. Electrical energy, though was a source a spirit could manifest from, was not usually a good conductor. However, this house had dangerous wiring, making it easy for a spirit to pick up on the electricity. I made a mental note to turn the light back off before doing my experiment.  
Running water was another source of energy that I heard spirits could use. When Zak mentioned that the ghost liked to write messages in the steam, I had a feeling that it wasn't a fascination with steam that the ghost possessed, but rather the energy coming from the shower.  
I took several shots of the bathroom with the light on before shutting the light off. When I turned out the light, there was little light to see by and I was not going to bump around in the dark bathroom and bedroom. I couldn't even see the mirror. Plus, no one had lent me any night-vision goggles, so they would have to suck it up if I ruined the investigation of this bedroom by turning a lamp on. I was not sitting in the bedroom in the dark all night. No way!  
I shuffled across the bumpy hardwood floor and switched on a replica antique lamp the owner had placed there. The room was now warmly lit with enough light that I could clearly see my reflection in the bathroom mirror. It looked like a normal, Victorian bedroom. An old lady bedroom, if you will. I doubted I would catch anything but dust orbs.  
I took pictures of the room at all different angles. I came around the other side of the pristinely made bed where the static night-vision camera was placed above an X Aaron had taped to the floor. Apparently, this must have been the perfect angle for capturing any apparitions or movement. I had a feeling that the only movement they were going to catch was me, but you never know. I heard earlier that Nick mentioned he got the creeps entering this room, but I felt nothing. Perhaps I didn't pick up on the energy as well as the guys. And maybe that was a good thing.  
After the sun had completely set, the bathroom began to give me the creeps. I was waiting any second for the Slender Man to be standing in the shower or something. I was thankful that there were no curtains, or I would have backed out of working in the bedroom and would have stayed at base with Billy. I peered into the bathroom to see a lone shower sitting in the dark beside the ugly baby blue toilet that I knew could not be original to the house. It must have been installed in the 60s or 70s when they were all the rage.  
But enough about the toilet. I reached into the shower and turned the knob on full blast. Ice cold water hit my arm and the pipes within the walls rattled.

"God, they must have not maintained the plumbing for years!" I said.

I let the shower warm up and left the bathroom. I thought that the perfect place to snap pictures would be in the safety of the lamp light. I leaned up against the wall between the nightstand and the armoire and out of the frame of the static night-vision camera in case things began appearing on the bedroom windows. The sound of running water was making me want to pee, but I would rather wait and let one of the guys drive me to the convenience store before going in here. There wasn't any toilet paper anyways.  
Growing bored and impatient for the mirror to fog, I held my camera in one hand and pulled my walkie out of it's holster. I had heard nothing out of Zak since he left me here, and I wondered if maybe he had not turned it on. But I checked, and it was on and ready to go. I placed the walkie back in the holster and looked up to see that the mirror was completely foggy.

"Show time," I said.

I set the camera on full burst mode and went at it. I got close ups, distance shot, and I dared enter the bathroom to get weird angles for fun. I even checked it with my own eyes, but it was just like any other mirror with steam on it.  
Giving up, I turned the shower off and when the steam was clear. I turned the light back on. Looking around, there was still nothing creepy or out of place in the bathroom. I wondered if the guys had tricked me just so they could satisfy me. It would be like Zak to make up some story about the bathroom in order to keep me busy. But then again, this was a lockdown, and he took these very seriously.  
I strolled back into the bedroom to look at some of the old black and white portraits of the home's previous owners on the wall. It was so quiet and peaceful in the bedroom. I was so absorbed in wondering what kind of people lived in this wonderful house, that I jumped when I heard Aaron's voice out in the hallway.

"Aaron's Vlog," he said.

I smiled and turned towards the bedroom door.

"This place is really creepy. I mean, look at these paintings on the walls!" he said.

There was a moment of silence as I assumed he was turning the camera around.

"They watch you!" he whispered.

I tried not to laugh.

"So, Nick is still investigating the kitchen with Zak. We're about to head down into the basement. Our paparazzi is locked in this first bedroom. I just wanted to come and check on her. How you doin' in there, Mikey?"

I walked over to the dresser beside the door to look at the little Precious Moments knickknacks.

"I'm good, Aaron!" I called.

There was silence from the hallway again.

"This is Aaron's Vlog," he said.

There was a beep as the recording ended and the sound of footsteps across the hallway floor. I heard Aaron clunk back down the stairs and I stood still until I couldn't hear him anymore. Then, I continued my walk around the bedroom, looking at all the little decorations on the walls.  
It was late at night, now. Probably around midnight. I had left my phone in the van to charge and had completely forgotten to take Nick's advice and buy a watch. So now all I could do was guess.  
I turned back towards the door and decided I could peek out and see if I could hear the guys' voices, but when I reached for the doorknob, I heard a squeak come from the bathroom. I grabbed my camera and spun around, quickly taking a picture. There was nothing there, but I could hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. I walked to the doorway and saw that the hot water in the sink was running, fogging up the mirror again.

"Holy shit," I whispered.

I backed away from the bathroom and fumbled for my camera. The lens made that signature shutter noise, but when I looked back up from the view finder, the sink was off and the fog was gone. I slid my camera back down the strap and reached for my walkie-talkie. I pressed the button, causing a two-tone beeping to come from it.

"Zak," I said.

There was nothing for a few minutes, and I feared the walkies weren't working. I remembered Aaron saying they were about to go down into the basement. What if the signal didn't reach?

"Mikey, what's wrong?" Zak replied.

"Thank God," I whispered in relief, "Zak, there's some weird stuff going on up here."

"What happened?" he asked.

"The sink. It came on by itself and when I took a picture, it went off. I swear, I'm not imagining things," I said.

There was a split second of silence, causing a split second of panic for me.

"That's not one of the claims," Zak finally replied, "but I believe you. Are you okay? Do you want me to come up there?"

"_For the love of God, yes!_" I thought.

"No, I'm fine," I answered, "just thought I should tell you."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I turned around and spotted the night-vision camera still sitting on its tripod.

"Yeah. Hey, I'm going to move this night-vision cam over in front of the bathroom," I said.

"Okay, that's fine," Zak said, "things get a little hairy late at night, so if you need me, call, okay?"

I picked up the camera's tripod and moved it about a yard outside of the bathroom.

"Okay, I will," I said.

"Alright. Be careful, Mikes," he said.

I positioned the camera just right and backed away to make sure the frame in the LCD screen was capturing the sink and the mirror above it.

"Okay, you too," I replied.

And with that, I heard nothing more from Zak. I stared at the sink, willing it to come on again, but it didn't. The room was slowly losing it's warm, casual vibe. It was getting colder in an emotional sense, and the vibe was growing darker. I looked away from the sink and down in my camera's own LCD, when I saw the mirror fogging up on its own. I looked up in shock and couldn't believe what I was looking at.  
The fog formed a mist that was strangely in the shape of a person. I pulled my camera up and took several pictures, but found it strange that when I looked up, the shape did not go away. I walked around the static night-vision camera to inspect what I thought was a misty manifestation. Inside the bathroom on the mirror, the fog had created an apparition. I froze as I stared at it. The room grew cold and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.  
The apparition was from head to torso, and I thought I could make out a face, hair, and shoulders. It seemed to be a woman. Suddenly, the eyes developed more definition and the thing looked right at me, before opening its mouth, letting out a scream. I screamed as well and the bathroom door slammed shut. I fell against it and quickly turned around to open the door and run back out into the bedroom. Luckily, the doorknob twisted. But when I opened the door, I found the static night-vision camera laying on it's side.

"Oh my God!" I gasped.

I turned to look for the misty apparition, but it was gone. I felt suddenly clammy and shaky. I reached for my walkie-talkie, but it was hard to do because my fingers were numb from the cold. I fumbled around from the call button and it was all I could do not to succumb to a panic attack.

"Zak! Zak! Come in!" I cried into the walkie.

His reply came in mere seconds.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"You guys need to get up here. There's some crazy shit going down in here. Please, hurry," I said.

"We're coming. Hold on," he said.

It wasn't long before I could hear the distinctive sound of Zak's boots galloping across the hardwood floor, followed by two more sets of shoes. I opened the bedroom door and grabbed Zak by the arm as soon as he appeared in the dark hallway.

"Zak, there was a ghost! I saw it! It was in the mirror and it screamed at me and tried to shut me in the bathroom and everything was cold and the camera got knocked over and-"

Zak gripped me by the shoulders and got down to my eye level.

"Michael, it's okay. Calm down. Did it hurt you?" he asked.

I shook my head.  
"Zak, what happened in here?" I asked.

Zak sighed and walked over to the static night-vision cam, propping it back upright.

"A woman named Sue Ellen Hewitt lived here with her abusive fiance Francis Dunlap. He beat her and did other horrible things to her until he murdered her in the basement," Zak explained.

I couldn't speak.

"The owner said she would often lock herself in here to keep away from her fiance," Zak continued.

Nick stepped forward with one of the cameras.

"I bet the apparition you saw was her," Nick said to me.

I looked back at the mirror.

"Come to think of it, it did kind of resemble a woman," I said.

Zak stalked over to the nightstand and switched off the lamp I had previously turned on.

"There's no telling what she went through-what happened to her in here when that scumbag did find her," Zak said.

Aaron stepped into the room, but before he could get passed the bed, he yelped in pain.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed.

"What? What happened?" Zak asked, concerned.

Aaron looked bewildered as he rubbed his cheek.

"Dude, it felt like someone just slapped me," he said.

Nick came around with his camera and stared at Aaron in shock.

"Whoa, fuck! There's a damn handprint on your face!" he exclaimed.

"No way!" said Zak, and he walked over to Aaron.

"Oh my God! There is! Nick, are you getting this?" Zak asked.

"Yeah, man! I-" Nick was interrupted when he tripped over nothing and almost dropped his camera.

"Are you okay?" Aaron turned and asked.

"Bro! Something just freaking pushed me!" Nick exclaimed.

Zak turned from Aaron and gave me a weird look. I raised my hands up.  
"Dude, it wasn't me!" I said.

I could see the guys breath! I could literally see their breath! It was 70 degrees outside!

"What. The. Fuck? Mikes, do you feel that?" Zak asked.

I was confused.

"Feel what?" I asked.

The cold? Zak's eyes zig-zagged around in what I could only describe as fear.

"Guys, I have a feeling we shouldn't be in here," Zak announced.

Nick and Aaron looked as confused as I was as Zak started pushing them towards the door.

"Wait!" I said, "Don't leave me here."

Zak pushed the guys out in the hall and turned around.

"We're not, Michael," he said.

Just as Zak spoke, I felt two hands grip my shoulders gently.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed and spun around.

Nick jumped and spun around the hallway.

"Dude, I just heard a woman's voice!" Nick exclaimed.

"Really?" Aaron asked.

Zak turned to me.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Something just like, gripped my shoulders. It wasn't rough or anything. It was just weird," I said.

Looking around behind me, there was nothing there but a shelf full of little pictures and knickknacks.

"I bet it's Sue Ellen," Zak said.

"What?" I asked.

Zak was silent as he thought over what he had said.

"Yeah, I bet it is. She's trying to communicate with you, Mikey. Can you feel her presence?" he asked.

I stood still and concentrated. I felt the guys' eyes on me, but even more so, another person's presence. I felt like I was in the company of someone who was in pain. I could still feel her hands on my shoulders.

"Yes," I replied.

Zak spun around and grabbed something out of Aaron's vest.

"Michael, come get this," Zak ordered.

I walked over to the doorway.

"What is it?" I asked.

Zak handed me a round metal device with a speaker in the center. He flipped a switch and loud, static blared from it.

"This is a spirit box. Take it. Try and see if you can speak with Sue Ellen," he said.

I carefully took the piece of equipment, remembering it from the show. It was one of the most annoying, but by far most effective pieces of proofing the ghosts I had ever seen.  
I walked back to the far wall near the bathroom and stared at the box, then at the guys. Zak nodded, urging me to go on. I swallowed before I looked around the room.

"Sue Ellen, my name is Mikey. Are you the one that came at me in the bathroom?" I asked.

The frequencies changed, making my ears hurt. However, there were no voices.

"Keep trying," said Zak.

I exhaled and did as I was told.

"Sue Ellen, we are not here to harm you. We're here to help you," I said.

There was a crack over the box.

"Hurt," it said.

Aaron and Nick gasped. Zak smacked both of them.

"Shut up!" he hissed.

"Yes, you were hurt," I said, feeling a rush coming on that the guys experienced when they received intelligent responses.

"Would you like to talk to me about it?" I asked, "Girl to girl?"

The box buzzed before it replied.

"Yes," it hissed.

Aaron and Nick were bouncing around in excitement.

"Can you tell me who hurt you?" I asked.

Immediately, what we believed to be Sue Ellen responded.

"Men," she replied.

I nodded.

"Yes, I know what you mean. Men can be downright pieces of crap," I said.

My little humorous comment seemed to lighten to vibe. Zak picked up on it.

"I bet she's laughing," he said.

I smiled at the boys.

"But Sue Ellen, not all men are jerks," I said.

Zak's eyebrows knitted together and a smile appeared on his lips.

"The three guys here aren't here to hurt you. They're here to help you," I said.

It took a moment before Sue Ellen replied. The room darkened again.

"Lie!" the spirit box barked.

I let my shoulders drop.

"Damn," I muttered.

"We gotta prove to her that we're here to help her," Aaron said.

Nick looked down at his shoes.

"She doesn't believe we can do nothing but hurt. Wait a minute! What if we showed so type of affection?" Nick asked.

I cocked my head to the side.

"Bro," Zak said, "We can say sweet nothings all we want. I doubt it will help."

"Well, hold on, Zak," I said.

Maybe Nick was on to something. Maybe if one of the guys touched me and proved to the spirit of Sue Ellen that they wouldn't hurt me, maybe we could help her find some sort of peace.  
"Zak, come in here," I said.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

I looked at the box.

"Sue Ellen, would you let Zak enter your room? I promise he won't hurt you," I said.

There was silence. I could sense the poor spirit's hesitation.

"Enter," the box said.

Zak looked shocked.

"Come here," I ordered, "Take my hand."

I outstretched my hand to him. Zak slowly walked in and took it, he held my hand. The atmosphere changed. I could sense Sue Ellen's surprise-a big, rough, scary guy like Zak holding my hand. I lead Zak back to where I had been standing.

"Sue Ellen, these guys are some of my very good friends," I said.

My heart began to race and my cheeks flushed viciously as Zak squeezed my hand, trying to show Sue Ellen that he could show affection to a girl. I cleared my throat and looked up at Zak. He did nothing but smile at me, and it was strange. This wasn't an act, I could feel it. Zak's well rehearsed dramatics were absent. I felt brotherly love from the guys, but even more so from Zak.

"Sit with me, Zak," I said.

Zak and I sat down cross-legged on the floor. I caught Nick whispering to Aaron, who in turn, raised a perplexed eyebrow.

"Protect," Sue Ellen's voice rang almost clear through the box.

Zak, who dared not to let go of hand, gave me a surprised look.

"Yes, Sue Ellen," I confirmed, "Zak protects me. He tries to protect all of us."

"I would have protected you, too, sweetheart," Zak said.

The cold air was gone and back to a muggy, normal temp. However, I felt a wave of heat rush over me. My grip loosened, but Zak's tightened.

"Hand me the box," Zak said.

I handed Zak the spirit box.

"Sue Ellen, can you tell us what happened to you? Tell us why Francis Dunlap was such a prick to you?" Zak asked.

Nothing.

"Or maybe, show us?" I asked.

The box broke frequencies.

"Yes," it said.

Zak looked up at the guys and gestured for them to catch whatever was about to happen on camera.  
Suddenly, the immaculately made bed was torn apart. Pillows flew from the bed, knocking off the lamp I had used, causing it to shatter all over the floor. Then, an ear-piercing scream came from the box. I had to wriggle my finger in my ear to try and relieve the ringing.

"Sue Ellen, dear. We want you to know how deeply sorry we are that his happened to you. No woman ever deserves the treatment you got," Zak said.

Something clicked inside me as I felt Sue Ellen's presence leave. I squeezed Zak's hand and felt this sudden overwhelming urge to cry. I couldn't suppress it, and I gave in. I felt terrible.

"Whoa, hey, Mikey. What's wrong?" Zak asked softly.

He scooted closer to me and took my other hand. I hiccuped and shook my head. I was crying so hard that I couldn't talk.

"Guys," Zak addressed Aaron and Nick, "go ahead and go back to base. We're done."

They said nothing and did as they were told. Zak turned back to me and wrapped both of his arms around me. I slipped my own around his torso and buried my eyes in his long sleeved, black shirt.

"I know how she felt, Zak," I whimpered.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Zak rubbed circles into back, trying to soothe my uneven breathing.

"I've been in her position. I know how it feels to be that lonely. To not be able to tell a soul that I'm hurting. To be told what a piece of shit I am. To be reminded every damn day that I am the scum of the Earth," I said.

Zak's face looked sympathetic.

"Who the hell told you that?" Zak asked, getting genuinely pissed.

I shook my head. I had already said too much. Zak didn't need to know my whole life story. I mean, he was my friend, but we weren't that close.

"It doesn't matter," I said.

I rubbed my eyes. Zak's wiped one of my wet cheeks with the back of his fingers.

"It obviously does," he said, "but if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. But I _am_ hear to listen if you need to talk. I'm not just your boss. I'm your friend, too."

I smiled at Zak and reached up to hug him.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"You're welcome," he said.

I pulled away and wiped my eyes again.

"Can we leave?" I asked.

Zak smiled.

"Of course," he said, then hopped to his feet, holding out a hand for me.

I gratefully took it and hauled myself to my feet.

"Let's get the hell out of here," he said.

With an arm holding my close to him by my shoulders. We left the bedroom and the mansion behind.

***

Zak shook hands with the owner and apologized for the broken lamp, handing the poor old man a hundred dollar bill. He had no idea how much the antique lamp was really worth, but hoped that the money helped.

"Oh, you don't need to replace it. Sometimes the ghosts get rambunctious. Things get broken all the time," the owner replied.

Zak took the man's wrinkled hand and stuffed the bill in it.

"Please," Zak said.

The man hesitated, but went ahead and took it. Zak thanked him again for letting them lockdown at the mansion and turned back to Aaron and Nick.

"Is Mikey, okay?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, is she alright? I never thought I'd see the day that _she_ cried," Aaron added.

Zak shook his head.

"I hate seeing girls cry," he said.

"Is she okay?" Nick asked again.

Zak sighed. All he wanted to do was stay by her side. He had no idea that this lockdown would affect her so, and he felt terrible about it.

"I think she'll be alright," he said.

"Are you sure, man?" Aaron asked.

Zak nodded.

"Yeah. But dammit," he said.

Both Nick and Aaron seemed confused. Zak enlightened them.

"You should have seen that look in her eyes," was all he said.

Zak walked off to the van and climbed in the driver's seat. Aaron and Nick exchanged worried glances before following suit.


	4. Frozen Goodies

Aaron unclipped the lens cover from his camcorder and made a funny face.

"Aaron's Vlog," he said.

Nick ducked under Aaron's camera and snuck into the frame.

"We just checked into the hotel," Nick said.

"Yeah, we have a lockdown at this old theater tonight," Aaron said, "Pretty excited."

"Zak is downstairs with Billy getting some, uh, things taking care of so Aaron and I are about to have a little fun!" Nick said, smiling widely.

Aaron grinned.

"Nick used some of his magic-"

"My irresistible charm!" Nick butted in.

Aaron shook his head, laughing.

"To get a key card to Zak's room. So we're going to go get Mikey and sneak into Zak's room before he comes back up," Aaron finished.

"I'm excited, bro. I haven't seen Mikey in like, two days," Nick said as he lead the way to Michael's room.

"Oh, I know, bro! Me too," Aaron said, then stopped Nick in his tracks.

"Wait! Go check and see if Zak is coming," Aaron said.

Nick spun around and ran back the way they had come. He leaned over the banister and peered down the stairs.

"I don't see him, man," Nick said.

"Dude, get lower," said Aaron.

Nick crept halfway down the stairs. Aaron followed him with his camera.

"Coast is clear. He's outside with Jay and Billy," Nick confirmed.

"Freakin' sweet! Let's go get Mikey," Aaron said.

Excited, both men tore back up the stairs and down the hall to the crew's photographer's room.

Xxx

"Mikey! Mikey!" I heard the excited calls of the guys from beyond my door.

"Disembodied voices!" I shouted.

I heard Aaron's laugh mixed with Nick's. I shut my laptop and climbed out of the bed. We had only just arrived at the hotel, and I was tired as hell from helping Billy with the map because stupid Aaron broke the GPS (you can't imagine Zak's fury), and they were already up to their pranks.  
I opened the door to see Nick's ecstatic smile and Aaron's camera in my face.

"You're not filming this are you?" I asked.

Stupid question. There was a freaking camera in my face!

"Nope," Aaron said, making me laugh, "Come on, Mikes. Nick has called shenanigans."

"Oh God!" I groaned.

I grabbed my key card off of the table beside the door and followed the boys out into the hall.

"What are you dragging me into?" I asked.

Nick just grinned.

"Just including you in some fun. We haven't seen you in days," Nick said, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

That wasn't my fault. Billy insisted I ride in his van and help him. However, at night, I would order room service. I didn't talk to the boys. After what happened at Dunlap, I just kept myself isolated for a while.

"Fine," I said, "what are we doing?"

Nick and Aaron smiled at each other.

"Nick got Zak's key," Aaron said.

We approached Zak's room and Nick slid the key in through the censors.

"We're going to steal his pillows," Nick said and opened the door.

I followed them in and shook my head.

"And you guys thought you were going to get killed at the lockdown," I said.

"Aaron keep watch!" Nick hissed, "Michael, come here."

I ran over to Nick and began grabbing the pillows.

"Dude!" Aaron exclaimed.

Both Nick and I jumped.

"What?" Nick asked.

Aaron walked away from the door and pointed to the kitchenette.

"He's got a damn fridge in here!" Aaron exclaimed.

I picked up one of Zak's pillows.

"So does mine. You don't have a fridge?" I asked.

I chucked the pillow as hard as I could, hitting Aaron square in the stomach.

"Ow, Mikey!" he whined.

"Dude, you have a fridge!" Nick said.

"I do?" Aaron asked, picking the pillow up.

"Don't you?" Nick asked, his voice shooting up an octave.

Aaron shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know. Haven't been in there yet," he said.

Nick and just laughed and gathered the hotel and Zak's own pillows.

"What should we do with these?" I asked.

"Hide them in my room," Aaron said.

"No way!" Nick said as he jumped across the room.

He ran over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door, stuffing in his pillows. Aaron burst out laughing.

"Oooh my God, dude! Oh my God!" Aaron said.

"Mikey, put your's in the fridge," Nick said.

"We're going to get murdered," Aaron laughed.

"Whatever, Zak can't do shit," Nick said, pushing the refrigerator door closed.

"Yo, man. Those pillows will warm up in no time. We need to find something else to do," Aaron said.

I looked around the room. Everything was set up all nice and neat. Zak kept his room very organized, unlike the rest of us.

"He'll notice if we move anything," I said as I walked into the bathroom.

"He's definitely going to notice the pillows in the freezer," Nick said and giggled like a little kid.

"Wait a minute! Oh my gosh! I just had an idea!" Aaron said excitedly.

Nick turned and laugh at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Holy...where is his hair gel? Nick, go find Zak's hair gel!" Aaron said.

Nick got this shit eating grin on his face and he took off for the bathroom.

"Nick, don't! That's mean!" I said.

If the boys got into my hair products, I know I'd be mad.

"Aw, look, Nick," Aaron said.

Nick came back out of the bathroom with a small bottle of spiking putty.

"What, man?" Nick asked as he walked over and put the bottle in the freezer.

"Nick, take that back out!" I hissed at him.

For some reason, I felt really bad about messing with Zak's personal things. Pillows were one story, but I knew how private Zak was and I knew how much pride he took in his stupid faux-hawk fin.

"That stuff is never going to thaw, man," Aaron laughed.

"That's not funny," I said.

Aaron turned to me and smiled.

"Aw, Mikey dudn't want Zakky to get mad," Aaron said in his cutesy baby voice.

"No," I said.

"Yes!" Aaron and Nick said in unison.

"Look, bro. Her cheeks are turning red," Nick said.

"They are not!" I snapped, pressing my hands.

"Aw! She cares, Aaron!" Nick gushed.

"Shut up!" I said and smacked both of them.

Nick grabbed me and hugged me so tight I couldn't breath.

"Mikey likes Zak," Aaron sang.

"No, I don't!" I choked out.

"It's okay, Mikes. We support you," Nick said.

Aaron laughed.

"We're in love with him, too," Aaron said.

I wriggled out of Nick's embrace.

"Stop it! I do not! I just hate hearing him bitch," I whined.

Aaron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure!" he said sarcastically.

I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out him. Nick laughed and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"We're just messing with you, Mikey," he said.  
I just huffed.

"You guys are jerks," I mumbled.

Down the hall, the sound of footsteps could be heard. All of us froze and Aaron's face held the same expression he had when he heard things during lockdowns.

"We're so dead," Nick whispered.

Aaron, remembering his camera, faced the front to him.

"If anyone finds this video, you will find that we are no longer alive. Aaron's Vlog," he said.

He quickly shut the camera off and peeked into the hallway.

"Mikey!" I heard Zak holler from the stairwell.

"Oh shit. Mikey's dead!" Aaron whispered.

"Shut up!" I hissed to Aaron.

"Michael! I want you to come down here, please!" Zak called.

I quickly snatched Zak's door in my hand, softly closed it, then opened it loudly.

"Coming!" I called.

"Someone's in trouble," Nick whispered in my ear.

"Oh whatever, Nick. I'm telling on you!" I said as I walked out into the hallway.

"Bullcrap, Michael! You were in on it, too!" Aaron said accusingly.

"Yeah, we have proof!" Nick chimed in.

I had made it halfway to the stairs when I turned to the guys.

"But Zak won't kick my ass," I said, pointing to myself.

Nick and Aaron rolled their eyes. I just laughed and took off down the stairs to see what Zak wanted.

Xxx

"Hey, Aaron," Nick whispered as he listen to Michael's footsteps thump down the stairs.

"Yeah, bro?" Aaron asked.

"Do you think something is going on between them? I felt like they had some sort of connection back at the last lockdown. You know, when we were doing our spirit box session," Nick said.

Aaron's eyes widened and he nodded slowly to Nick.

"Definitely. They may not realize it yet, but there's something," Aaron said.

Nick nodded in agreement.

Xxx

I walked into the lobby and ran into Billy, who was passing through with his duffel bag and a suitcase.

"Hey, Zak's outside," he told me.

"Thanks," I said and quickly walked outside.

It was cold and blustery. Clouds loomed over and completely blocked out the sun. A perfect fall afternoon in...whatever town we were in. When you travel as much as we do, you forget where you're going.  
I found Zak standing by a lamppost on the sidewalk outside the front door. He looked thoughtful as he overlooked the parking lot. It had begun to lightly mist rain, but he didn't seem to mind. However, he was wearing a hat, a zip-up hoodie and baggy jeans. He probably couldn't feel it. I was still wearing mens cargo shorts and a Ghost Adventures Crew t-shirt with flip flops. Yeah, I know. Not your desired attire for cold, wet weather, but it was fine when you were stuck in the van all day. I hadn't planned on going outside and catching a cold.

"Hey there," he said as I approached and stood beside him.

"Hey," I said nervously.

Zak looked down at me and gave me a smile, which I returned. Like Aaron and Nick, I hadn't really seen much of Zak since we left our last lockdown. I mean, I had seen him at lunch today and last night when we loaded the vans and headed to our new location, but I hadn't paid much attention or even spoke to him. I would have, but I just didn't feel myself.  
But in neglecting to pay attention, I was shocked when I looked at him. He looked rough. I mean, he had looked rougher, but he looked a little unkept. But long car rides can do that to a person, I suppose. He had a tad but of mustache and goatee scruff and his eyelids were slightly droopy. He looked tired, but content.  
The wind passed by us again and Zak shivered.

"Aren't you cold?" he turned to ask me.

I shook my head and stuffed my hands in my pockets. I kind of was.

"Are you sure? You want my jacket?" he asked.

Zak's hands immediately went up to his zipper, but I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm good," I said, pushing my hair behind one ear to keep it from blowing in my face.

Zak dropped his hands and shrugged. He said nothing more on the subject.

"So, why are we out here?" I asked.

Zak looked up and down the sidewalk, then back to the hotel's front doors.

"Come," he said, gesturing for me to walk with him with a tilt of his head, "I wanna talk."

I sighed and fell in step with him as we walked across the sidewalk and out into the parking lot. Zak said nothing as I followed his long strides out onto the sidewalks of downtown mystery town. Our hotel was located next to the shopping strip and only a few blocks from our lockdown location.  
Zak's silence was making me nervous. Fuck! What if I was getting fired and this was his nice way of approaching it?

"How are you?" Zak asked, breaking the awkward silence with a just as awkward question.

I jumped when he spoke.

"Oh! Um, fine," I said, looking down at my freezing toes.

I could feel Zak's eyes on me.

"You?" I quickly asked.

I looked up to his eyes bearing right down on me.

"Not sure. A little worried. That's why I asked you to come out here. You know, away from the guys and stuff," he said.

"Worried?" I asked, "About what?"

What on Earth could Zak Bagans be worried about? Well, except for his belongings in his room.

"You," he replied.

My head snapped up to him.

"Me?"

"Well, it's just that you've been pretty distant since the last lockdown. I haven't seen you in a while," he said.

I shrugged it off as no big deal.

"I've been working on the blog and stuff," I said.

"Mikey, you get that thing done in like, five minutes," he said.  
"And analyzing the pictures I took," I added.

"Michael," he said.

"What?" I asked.

We stopped in front of a tax agency that was closed for the day.

"You're not yourself," he said.

I knew that. I was getting better, though. As far as the guys knew, I was just recovering from my first supernatural experience. They didn't know the memories that had been brought up after that night.

"Mikey, look at me," Zak said.

He leaned down and held my shoulders. I couldn't help but maintain eye contact. He was dead set on not letting this go. I felt terrible. I had never ignored the guys for as long as I had. I know two days seems like a short time, but it really wasn't. I never went an hour without speaking to Aaron, and Zak and I always spoke to each other when we were in each other's presence. Nick was a bit harder to talk to, but I still said "hi" when I could.

"What's wrong? I know you didn't want to talk about it before, but you must know that you can always come to me, or any of us for that matter, if something's troubling you," he said.

Zak removed his hands when I looked away instead of replying.

"I'm scared you got freaked and didn't want to continue working with us," Zak confessed.

I was surprised at him.

"Are you kidding? This is the best job in the world!" I said.

Zak laughed.

"You worry too much, Bagans," I said.

We resumed walking. Zak lightly shoved me, making me laugh.

"Do I?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Well, I feel like I should," he said.

I looked back up at him. What did he mean by that? Zak looked passed me and spotted a bench.

"Come here, Michael," he said.

He gently gripped my arm and lead me to the bench. I sat down with him. He leaned over and clasped his hands together in the position I like to call "Serious Zak is Serious Now" pose.

"What's been going on? Was this 'cause of the other night?" he asked.

I looked down and nodded. I didn't know how much I wanted to tell Zak, but if anyone was to know, it would be him. I mean, he was there, after all.

"Sort of. It's just a lot of stuff all at once. Like the things I told you in the mansion," I began.

Zak nodded to me. His eyes didn't leave my face.

"And Sue Ellen...her story reminded me of one of my exes," I went on.

I could feel Zak tense up beside me. His eyes darkened the same way they had when I told him about the peeper.

"Did he hurt you?" Zak asked softly.

I nodded.

"There were nights I almost had to call the cops. I eventually did but..."

I trailed off and Zak took my hand. I couldn't think of any more words as his warm hand clasped my frozen fingers.

"But I just felt all that pain and everything come back. And being in my room alone didn't help but it's okay," I said.

"You could have come and got me, Mikes," Zak insisted.

"Zak, I'm not going to come wake you up at two in the morning to piss and moan about my personal problems. I can handle it," I said.

I have before. I have to be strong for myself.

"Michael, stop it. Listen," Zak said, "I told you a long time ago that you were our problem. Did I not?"

I half smiled.

"I remember," I murmured.

"Whatever bullshit you went through, whatever pain you're in, you don't have to take it alone. Trust me, I've been through it all. I know what it's like to be bullied and in shit relationships. I know what low self esteem is. I understand how you're feeling. You're not alone. You have me and Aaron and Nick. Even Billy and Jay if you want to talk to them. I know I wished I had someone to talk to when I was feeling bad. This isn't just a job. We're all family, Mikey, and family watches out for each other."

I broke eye contact. That urge to cry that I thought I had finally gotten rid of returned.

"I care about you so much, Mikey. I hate to see you hurt. If I had known...I should have let Aaron or myself stay with you the other night," Zak said.

"Don't blame yourself, Zak. I can handle a lockdown. I'm a big girl," I said.

Zak smiled.

"It's just the crazy memories," I finished.

Zak wrapped an arm around me and scooted in closer.

"I know," he said.

I leaned my head in onto his shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt his lips press against the top of my head. My cheeks burned and I suddenly wasn't cold anymore. I turned and hugged Zak, receiving a very welcoming embrace. My face tilted in to his collar and I tried not to cry. I hated crying so much. I thought of it as a weakness.

"It's okay, Mikey," Zak whispered.

I pulled away and shook my head.

"No. Enough of the crying. I'm tired of it. I'm done. I know Nick could hear me the other night. I'm done. It's time to put the big kid pants back on," I said, mostly to myself.

Zak's hand went up to hold the side of my neck, nearly but not quite, cupping my jaw.

"Michael, you don't have to put up a front anymore. You have us to be strong for you," he said.

And with that, I lost it and threw my arms back around him.

"No one has ever told me that before," I whispered.

"You've never had a friend like me-erm, like us!" Zak said, then corrected himself.

I pulled back to look at him. His face was dangerously close to mine.

"What?" I asked, a laugh breaking through.

"Someone who respects you," Zak elaborated.

I still wasn't sure what he meant, but I hugged him anyways.

"Ooo! I just had an idea!" Zak exclaimed, making me almost shit my pants because the outburst scared me.

We pulled away and Zak jumped to his feet.

"I know how I can cheer you up!" he said.

He reached down and took my hand, making me get up.

"Oh really, Bagans?" I asked.

Zak laughed.

"Yeah, come on! This is how I cheer the guys up when they've had a bad time at a lockdown. I know it cheers me up. Come, I'll show you," he said, and proceeded to drag me down the street.

Up ahead was a Braum's.

"Ice cream?" I asked.

"Ice cream!" Zak confirmed.

We ran out of the now sprinkling rain and into the almost empty restaurant. The building was fairly new, with warm lighting, pendant chandeliers and flatscreen TVs. It contrasted sharply with Zak and I, who were both wearing dark colors.

"Pick out anything you want," Zak said, "Ice cream's on me."

Usually, I would argue and then pay my own way, but I went ahead and let Zak take it. He was digging through his wallet when he pulled out a strange looking card.

"Oh! Nevermind. Travel is paying for it. I forgot I had this!" Zak said, flashing the credit card in front of my face.

"Well, good," I said.

Zak and I laughed and quickly got in line to order our treats.

Once done ordering, Zak and I walked into the dining room and sat opposite each other in a booth.

"I'm sure this ice cream isn't helping knock off the chill," Zak said.

I glomped a chunk of my double scoop off and wiped my face with a napkin.

"No," I replied, "but this is making me feel better."

Zak smiled victoriously.

"Told you," he said.

I smiled and we soon sat wet, shivering and happy as we talked about more positive things. We mostly discussed music, dubstep being the center subject. We talked about donkeys, as well as Old Man Humphries from the Ancient Ram Inn and tonight's lockdown. It was dumb, but we both had smiles on our faces. I really enjoyed talking to Zak, even when he decided to go into unnecessary deep descriptions of things. I still listened. He made me feel secure, as he had since the morning before the Dunlap lockdown. I don't what it was about him. Had Aaron and Zak been right, though? Perhaps halfway.

"Should we get some ice cream for the guys? Buy a couple of tubs or something?" Zak asked.

That's when I suddenly remembered Aaron's video.

"Um, I don't think so," I said.

Zak looked surprised.

"Are we just going to keep this to ourselves?" he asked jokingly.

"I would if they stuffed _my_ pillows and hair gel in the freezer," I replied.

Zak was shocked.

"No!" he said.

"Yup," I said with a mouthful of ice cream.

"Wait! How do you know?" he asked.

Caught! Dammit!

"I helped, kind of. It was Nick's idea, though! They dragged me into it. Aaron said that Nick called shenanigans," I said.

"Those asses aren't getting any damn ice cream now," Zak said.

I burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"I'll forgive you this time, though," he said.

I stuck my tongue out at him, in which he did the same.

"Immature," I commented.

"Oh, shut up, Michael," he said.

After we finished our ice cream, Zak draped an arm across my shoulders as we slowly walked back to the hotel. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I really enjoyed Zak's company. If Sue Ellen had been right about anything, it was Zak.


	5. It's Time to Light the Lights!

I followed behind Billy into the Maizy Theatre, helping him set up base in the office. The theater was no longer opened, but the owner had left the furniture in the office, so we decided to use it as our nest spot. We had already brought in the cameras, which were now in use as Zak was doing a walkthrough with the owner and several other people. I had a handful batteries that I was going to help change with the digital recorders, my own camera bag, Aaron's camcorder, and a case of Mel Meters.

"Boy, they loaded you down, didn't they?" Billy asked.

I laughed and Billy took the equipment off of my hands.

"Here, I can get the rest. You go find the guys. They wanted some portrait shots taken," he said.

I sat Aaron's camcorder down and reached into my bag to pull out my handy Nikon D7000 and my desired lens. I slipped the strap over my shoulder and said goodbye to Billy as I made my way out of the door. But damned if I even take a step out into the hall that I see that grin on Nick's face that tells me he and Aaron are up to no good.

"Mikey, you gotta come see this!" he said excitedly.

"Oh God," I said jokingly, "What is it?"

Nick wouldn't tell me. He just grinned.

I just rolled my eyes and followed him down an old hallway with peeling white paint. I didn't realize where I was until I was standing in front of the massive wooden stage. The place was huge! A large crystal chandelier hung from the high, three story ceiling. Angels were painted on the ceiling and large paintings of actors who made the place famous hung from the walls. Everything that was not wood or red carpet was brass or gold. The place was a gnome's paradise with everything that sparkled.

"This place looks like the Muppet Theater," Nick commented.

I laughed.

"Oh my God, it does!" I agreed.

This theater had everything! I had only seen places like this in movies. It even had a massive orchestra pit, gigantic red velvet curtains with drapery and stringy gold trim. There was no telling what was backstage. The place also had amazing acoustics, because I could hear Zak as if he was right beside me. He was actually up in one of the balcony seats that you see Statler and Waldorf critiquing from on The Muppet Show.

"Dude! I thought he was down here," Nick whispered to me, "That's going to make tonight's hunt extra spooky."

I smiled and nodded. I knew they were going to scare themselves more than get scared by ghosts.

"Oh! There's Aaron," Nick said, pointing to the bald head peaking through the curtains.

Nick and I jogged over to the stage.

"What are you up to back there?" I asked.

Aaron wriggled his eyebrows and hid behind the curtain.

"Nick!" we heard Zak bark from on high.

"God! It's you!" Nick cried out jokingly.

I looked to see Zak roll his eyes and shake his head.

"He's cranky," Nick whispered.

"He was in a good mood earlier," I told him.

"Zak's always uptight on walkthroughs," Aaron said from behind the curtain.

Nick laughed.

"Coming!" Nick sang out to Zak in this high-pitched, Italian accent.

I laughed and turned back to the curtains.

"Michael, come up here," Aaron called.

I did as I was told and pushed my camera under the curtains, then hauled myself up and rolled under the heavy velvet. I rolled over on my back to see Aaron looking down on me with a pink feather boa around his neck. I burst out laughing.

"Dude! Oh my God!" I exclaimed.

I sat up and Aaron helped me to my feet as he picked up my camera and handed it to me. I couldn't help but laugh as Aaron's gently picked at the boa and then smoothed it out.

"Where did you find that? I thought we weren't supposed to touch anything?" I asked.

Aaron waved me off and made a "Pfft!" sound.

"That's Zak's rule when I'm in _my_ own house!" Aaron said.

I just laughed.

"Where's Nick? Does he have the camera?" Aaron asked.

He walked around me and poked his head out of the curtains.

"Zak wanted him for something," I replied.

"What?" Aaron asked, slightly agitated.

I scooted beside Aaron to look out into the audience-er, or where the audience is supposed to be. Up on the second story seating, Zak was walking backwards, talking about one of the claims to the camera that Nick was following him with. When Zak turned his back to the camera, Aaron whistled to Nick. Nick looked down and mouthed "What?" and then pointed to Zak, signaling that he was filming. Aaron, very aggressively, pointed to Nick and then pointed to the floor in front of the stage.

"Get down here!" Aaron growled through his teeth.

Nick had this look that clearly said "Really? Are you serious?" Nick pointed to Zak's turned backside and then held up his index finger, mouthing "One minute."  
Aaron closed the curtains and turned back to me.

"What's your big plan, Aaron?" I asked.

Aaron smiled at me through his scraggly beard.

"I'm going to do something funny. I want you to run along the floor and take pictures while Nick films. We can put it on the blog," he said.

"Crap," I complained, jokingly of course.

Aaron just winked. We went and peered out on stage left to see Zak and the theater's owner walking down the slightly sloped isle in the back.

"Dude, where's Nick?" Aaron asked.

"I don't-"

The sound of feet running across the carpeted floor caught our attention. Nick appeared under the curtain with his camera.

"Ready!" he whispered.

Aaron jumped into action, nudging my shoulders.

"Go, go, go! Get down there! Shit! Where are my sunglasses?"

I turned to Aaron and reached for the sunglasses hanging from his collar.

"Oh thanks, Mikes. Now go!" he said.

I sat on the edge of the stage, and holding my camera to my chest, slid under the curtains. Nick caught me before I could fall. I didn't realize how high the stage was and almost fell on my ass.

"You alright?" Nick asked, one hand on his big camera and the other around my waist.

"I'm good. Let's go," I replied.

"Are you filming?" Aaron hissed through the curtain.

"Rolling," Nick said.

And out came Aaron, cheesin', big stepping, and pretending to be Madonna. I ran along side the side, clicking away at the shutter button.

"This shit is priceless!" I heard Nick say as he laughed.

We ran back, following Aaron to center stage. It was at this time that Zak had made it to the front of the theater to see everything. I climbed up on the wooden wall barrier of the orchestra pit to get better shots.

"What the hell is this?" Zak asked.

I looked over my shoulder to see Zak staring in terror at Aaron with his massive arms crossed over his chest. Nick was looking at Zak, laughing at his reaction.

"Aaron's dancing," Nick giggled.

"He's dancing? Michael, get down. Where did he get that feathery thing?" Zak asked.

Aaron flashed his open palms around his face, singing something that resembled pop music.

"I'm voguing!" Aaron said.

I snorted and Nick burst out laughing.

"Voguing? What the fuck?" Zak asked.

"You know," Nick said.

"Like Madonna," I elaborated.

Zak just stared at me and then shook his head.

"Aaron, stop. Michael, get down. People have fallen in that pit and died," Zak said.

I turned around and smirked at Zak.

"I have perfect balance," I bragged.

"Oh really?" Zak asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Yeah? Bullshit! Now, get down," he ordered.

"Bossy," I said and turned back to my camera.

"Lover's quarrel," I saw Aaron say through my viewfinder.

Nick snorted.

"What?" Zak asked.

I could hear him behind me. The boys were still laughing.

"Get down, Mikey," Zak said again.

"Make me, Bagans," I said.

"Make you?" Zak asked, his voice kicking up an octave.

Aaron, very dramatically, threw off his feather boa and disappeared backstage. Nick swung his camera over to Zak and I.

"You won't do shit, Zak," I said.

I immediately regretted saying that. Zak's arms wrapped around my stomach and he dragged me backwards off of the barrier.

"No!" I shouted.

Zak was laughing.

"Dude, put her down," I heard Nick say.

"No, man. She started it," Zak said.

Zak had lifted in front of him, pressed against his chest like a kid holding a teddy bear. I started kicking and squirming.

"Zak, put me down!" I shouted.

"Noooo!" he said.

"Zak Bagans!" I screamed.

I wriggled and squirmed, but he was way too strong.

"Michael Wilde," he teased.

"Such a jerk," I complained.

"Let's go, guys!" Zak called over his shoulder, "Time to take some pictures."

"Zak, put me down," I complained.

To my surprise, Zak stopped walking and put me down before we made it to the back door.

"And you said I wouldn't do shit," he said.

I looked up at Zak. His eyes were bright and his grin kept me from being mad.

"Douche," I said.

Zak wrapped his arm around my neck and yanked me into him.

"I'm just messin' with ya, Mikey," he said.

I just laughed and he raced me out the front door.

Xxx

Aaron and Nick stopped at the back door and watched Zak and Michael walk together to the lobby. They turned and exchanged knowing glances.

"Something's up," Aaron said.

Nick nodded in agreement.  
Xxx

"And up here is where the prop guy fell to his death," Zak said.

We were standing on stage with some of the crew. Zak had his flashlight pointed up to a hidden balcony that had rope hooks and crank-operated wenches mounted to it.

"This is where they would control things from ropes and wires like drop-down moons and clouds and stuff," Zak continued.

"Ooo! Like Peter Pan? Did they ever fly Peter Pan around the stage?" Aaron asked excitedly.

Zak glared at Aaron.

"No, Aaron. I don't think they produced Peter Pan here," Zak said in this deadly serious tone.

There was this short time between dinner and the actual lockdown where Zak got all serious and used his TV tone with us out of habit. He took this shit so seriously, where as when I had done my one ghost hunt with a friend, we treated it as just Halloween fun. However, we didn't know what we were dealing with either. In the three months I had been working with the Ghost Adventures Crew, I had lost the naïve outlook I had on ghosts. There was a reason Zak took this seriously, for not only was he getting paid for this, but because this stuff was real. You would believe me too if you had been in Sue Ellen Hewitt's bedroom. But Zak was passionate about this stuff, and just like Aaron and Nick, I was developing a deep love for the darker things in life (and death) that everyday people purposely ignore.

"That would have been cool. Flying around this place," Aaron said.

"You gonna dress up in tights, Aaron?" Nick asked.

Aaron shrugged.

"Depends. How much you willin' to pay me to do it?" Aaron asked jokingly.

"I'm not spending my money on that," Nick said.

"Guys, stop," Zak said.

I mean, Mother.

"Aaron, no one wants to see you in tights," he went on.

Aaron laughed.

"Hmm, maybe we should get a girl's perspective. Michael?" Aaron asked.

I got on my knees and and rolled over onto my back, rolling up beside Zak's gray high-tops. I was going for straight up shots of the balcony and the dark ceiling above.

"Aaron, I do not want to see you in tights. Sorry," I said.

"Who would you wanna see in tights, Mikes?" Nick asked.

"Really, Nick?" I asked.

The boys just laughed. Zak shifted his feet and looked down at me. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"What are you doing, Michael?" Zak asked.

He stared at him for a second before purposely taking a picture of him, the flash going off in his eyes.

"Shit! Michael!" Zak shouted, rubbing his eyes.

Nick and Aaron burst out laughing. I switched to LCD view to see what I had taken, bursting out laughing when I saw Zak's surprised face.

"Oh, I'm keeping this!" I said and laughed again.

"Michael, I can't fucking see. Like, I'm seeing purple spots," Zak complained, rubbing his eyes again.

"That's what you get for dragging me off that barrier," I said.  
"Oh, whatever!" he groaned.

"I thought I was going to die!" I exclaimed, being overdramatic on purpose.

"Michael! People have died in that! Come here," he said.

Nick walked by me and both he and Zak took my hands and hauled me up. We followed him backstage to the stairs that lead to the balcony.

"Guys, be really careful up here. I don't know how stable this thing is," Zak said.

We gently walked out onto the landing that was exactly level with the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"What happened up here, Zak?" Nick asked.

"According to the owner, back in the early 1800s, a man working the drop downs fell to his death during a performance. He fell to the edge of the stage down there," Zak said, pointing down to the stage, "His neck snapped and his body went_splat_ in the middle of the orchestra."

"Dude!" I said as I snapped a group shot of the guys.

All three of them turned to me.

"What?" Zak and Nick asked.

"This just like out of _Phantom of the Opera_. Like when the guy in the balcony was hung by a rope during a performance," I said.

Nick's eyes widened.

"Dude! Shit! That's creepy. I remember that scene. My wife made me watch it with her. I remember that!" Nick said.

"Really strange coincidence," Zak commented.

"I hope that freaking chandelier doesn't fall," Nick said, pointing his camera out to the the chandelier out above the audience.

"Guys, if that thing even makes a noise, you guys better run," I said.

"Oh! I'll be outta here. Like that!" Nick said, snapping his fingers.

A cold wind blew passed all of us, then thunder clapped loudly above our heads, making me scream and the rest of us jump. Zak's arms swung out and pushed Aaron and I backwards and away from the edge of the balcony like a mother who swings her hand out and pushes a kid back when she brakes hard in the car.

"What the hell?" Aaron asked, pointing his camera up to the ceiling.  
"There's a hole in the ceiling!" Nick exclaimed.

We all turned and looked up to see lightning flash across the outside sky.

"I didn't see that it was supposed to rain tonight," I said.

"Yeah, they said on the radio earlier it was supposed storm tonight," Nick said.

Aaron laughed nervously.

"We're going to get some heavy shit tonight," Aaron said.

Zak said nothing about the rain, but he had this happy glint in his eyes. I knew he was secretly super excited. This stuff gave him that rush they craved.

"Michael, are you locking down with us tonight?" Nick asked.

I was taken by surprise at Nick's question. No one had even mentioned me locking down again after the last one, and I was chomping at the bits to join them again instead of watching monitors with Billy. I looked to Zak, who was watching me thoughtfully.

"Do you want to, Mikes? Are you ready to go again?" he asked.

I nodded eagerly.

"Are you sure?" he pressed on.

I opened my mouth to reply, but then shut it again. I was a little hesitant now. I didn't want to be in the middle of another experiment again, seeing as I once again missed out on hearing the claims.

"I'm not letting you go alone, Mikey. You'll be with someone," he went one, putting his hands on his hips.

"I'm ready, Zak," I said.

I saw his nostrils flare as he took a deep breath. He looked away and then looked back at me. I wondered if he was waiting for me to change my mind or pondering upon what to do with me tonight.

"Okay," he finally said, "Aaron, you and Michael stay up here and investigate on this balcony. See if you can capture the guy who fell to his death. Nick and I are going to the dressing rooms where several actresses were murdered by the troupe leader."

"Wait! What if it rains on us?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron, it won't. The wind is blowing the wrong way for it to blow straight in on you guys," Zak said.

"Besides," Nick added, "water and lightning? What better sources of energy for ghosts to manifest in?"

Aaron and I nodded.  
"Okay," Zak said, "you two go ahead and start. Nick and I are going to go thank Mr. Stouffer for letting us lock down here and then we're going to go begin our investigation."

Aaron and I nodded again to Zak. Nick began to traverse the stairs. Zak went to follow him when he stopped and looked back at me. I knew he was worried, but I wasn't scared. I was fine. I gave him a reassuring smile, causing his worried expression to soften and he gave me a gentle smile before Nick called to him.

"I'm coming," Zak said and went down the stairs without another word.

Aaron and I sat in the middle of the balcony and looked out over the stage. Aaron was grinning.

"Finally! He didn't make me go somewhere by myself! So abusive!" Aaron said.

I just laughed. Oh, Aaron!

Xxx

Nick was confused and slightly worried as he watched the lead investigator walk in front of him. Zak's shoulders were bunched in tense knots under his tight t-shirt and his hands were held in fists. Nick could tell when they left Aaron and Michael on the balcony that Zak was a little on edge. He knew it would have been better to leave Aaron alone by himself and have Michael stay with them.

"Zak," Nick finally spoke up.

"Yeah?" Zak asked.

"Should we leave Mikes alone up there with Aaron?" he asked.

Zak looked over his shoulder to the younger investigator, raising an eyebrow.

"Because, well, I know how protective you are of her and all," Nick explained.

They turned into the lobby and Zak stopped at the main entry doors, looking out to see Michael and Aaron perched like pigeons on the balcony.

"I'm watching her," Zak said.

Xxx

"So, um, I shouldn't bring this up but I'm going to," Aaron said.

I looked at Aaron curiously. They had not yet turned the lights out, and so Aaron and I chatted before we got to work.

"What's up?" I asked.

Aaron shifted and pulled his digital recorder out of his pocket.

"It's just that, well, Nick and I noticed how you get along with Zak," he began.

I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"Oh really?" I asked playfully.

Aaron smiled.

"Yeah. You guys, uh, seem kind of close," Aaron said.

I just shrugged it off.

"He's just a really good friend," I said simply.

Aaron stuck his bottom lip out and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh come on!" he said.

"Oh my God, Aaron! What are you insinuating?" I asked.

"Nothing!" Aaron squeaked, "I was just gonna say Zak's a really good guy. Just a decent, caring guy."

I tilted my head to the side and looked back out as I saw Billy walk by one of the side doors. I knew we were about to hit lights out.

"Yes, that's true," I said.

I was scared to where this was going. Aaron was silent for a minute.

"I think it would be cute if you two got together," he said.

I spun around to Aaron, shocked.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Just saying!" he said defensively.

"I don't have feelings for him like that, Aaron!" I hissed.

"I've seen how you look at him," Aaron said accusingly, but I knew he was joking.

I nudged Aaron as lightly as I could without jerking the balcony.

"Aaron!" I groaned.

"I think you like him," Aaron leaned over and almost sang in my ear.

"I do not!" I whined, "He's just being nice 'cause I'm a girl and not an _ass_."

Aaron swatted my shoulder playfully with the back of his hand.

"Michael, shit honestly, do you like Zak?" he asked again.

"Shit honestly, no!" I argued.

Aaron barked out a "HA!" and pointed a finger at me.

"You used a Zak phrase!" he said.

"I'm aware of that, Aaron!" I snapped and then laughed.

"You like him," Aaron said.

"Aaron-"

"Mikey, I can see these things. I know," he said.

I stared at Aaron, who now had this more serious look in his eyes.

"Do you?" he asked again.

The lights shut off and we could hear Billy squealing like a girl. We laughed as we saw his shadow run by before he slammed the office door closed. Aaron turned on his camera's night vision, and I could see his face in the LCD's eerie green glow. The distraction gave me a moment to think. Did I like Zak? Were Nick and Aaron right? Hell if I know!  
I mean, Zak is attractive, I suppose. I had never thought about it before. I was not one of those girls who like guys with big muscles, but Zak didn't necessarily fit into the jock category. He was much too dark for that. I didn't fangirl over him like some of the fans I had seen, but Aaron's question made me start to rethink every close encounter I had had with Zak. From earlier this afternoon to back when he pounded the shit out of that guy at the hotel. I thought the connection we had at the Dunlap mansion and the way my body warmed up earlier when he kissed my hair. I couldn't admit that I didn't like it. Oh God!

"I don't know, Aaron," I groaned.

I felt Aaron's thick arm drape across my shoulders.

"It's okay if you do. I won't tell," he murmured.

I looked up slowly at his glowing beard.

"But if you two were to hook up, I know you two would be great for each other," I said.

I smiled at Aaron, even though I know he couldn't see me. After all that I had been through with passed relationships, I knew that if this were to ever to happen, it would be a gift. But I didn't want to dwell on it. I liked him as a friend and there was no way in hell I was going to get my hopes up. Not over a guy that I work with. No way!  
Aaron inhaled sharply through his nose.  
"Ah! I smell a marriage," he said.

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped and nudged him in the side.

We soon quietened down and got back to work as cold wind and mist blew in through the hole in the ceiling and swirled around us.


	6. Apple Juice

"I swear to God, Nick. It's your ribs that are taking so long!" Zak griped.

"Aaron's Vlog," Aaron said into his camcorder.

"Are you kidding me, Aaron?" Nick snapped.

"Nick, calm down, man," said Zak.

"I can't stand that shit! We're about to eat, Aaron. Put the camera up!" Nick growled.

"Somebody didn't get their nap out," Aaron said into the camera.

"Of course I didn't! We had to get fucking sugar for breakfast and get hyper. We're supposed to be in bed!" Nick griped, then sneezed.

Aaron jumped away from Nick.

"Dude, you are not getting me sick!" Aaron said.

"I'm not sick!" he exclaimed.

"You sure sound sick," Zak said, sounding so much more calmer than Aaron and Nick.

Nick sniffed and rubbed his nose.

"I can't smell anything," Nick whined.

The waitress arrived with a large tray and began to place our food in front of us. It was early for lunch-around 11:45. We had stopped at a Waffle House after leaving the theater. The original plan was to head back to the hotel and go to bed, but the boys had been on such an adrenaline rush, they decided to go get breakfast. All morning we had been on a sugar high and we were now crashing. But Zak got hungry, so we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe near the hotel for lunch.

"And here are your ribs, sugar," the waitress said to Nick.

Nick stared at his food until the waitress left.

"I can't even smell my damn food!" he complained.

Zak and Aaron laughed as they dug into their food.

"I told you not to go into that storage room. You knew the window was broken out," Zak said.

"But I heard something. I swear!" Nick said.

"Did you get rained on? Mikey and I did a little bit," Aaron said.

I was picking at my sandwich when my throat began to itch. I pulled my t-shirt collar over my mouth and nose and barked out a cough that hurt deep into my chest.

"Ow!" I whined and doubled over, laying my forehead on the table.

"Both of you are getting sick. I knew it!" Aaron exclaimed.

"Aaron, calm down," Zak said, "Michael, are you okay?"

I sat up. I felt terrible. My muscles were sore and my head was getting stuffy.

"No," I groaned.

"Dude," Nick said.

I looked over at Nick.

"Does it feel like your nose is swelling up?" he asked me.

I reached up and rubbed under my right eye.

"It's getting there," I said.

Zak sat forward.

"Okay, guys. Try and eat and we are going straight to the hotel and both of you better go to bed. That means no photo analyzing, no blogging, and no Tweeting," Zak ordered.

Nick groaned and propped his head on a hand. I took a small bite of my sandwich and slammed it back down. The usually spicy chicken sandwich was absolutely tasteless.

Xxx

Aaron walked with me as I shuffled to my room.

"You good, Mikey?" he asked.

"I'll be okay. Which room is Zak's?" I asked.

Aaron looked confused, but pointed down the hall.

"Next to that fire extinguisher," he replied.  
I looked and then turned to my door and opened it.

"Goodnight, Mikey," said Aaron.

"Night, Aaron," I croaked and walked into my room.

I had not forgotten about the prank from yesterday, and I knew Zak rediscovering his pillows would set him off. I had four pillows on my bed, a Pillow Pet of my own, and my own pillow from home. I grabbed three of the four pillows out from beneath my covers and grabbed a bottle of hairspray from my bag. Then, I shuffled off to Zak's room. I softly knocked and could hear movement within.

"Come in. It's open," he called.

I pushed the ajar door open and walked on in. Zak looked surprised when he saw me.

"Hey," he said softly.

He looked concerned.

"Hey. Did you find your pillows?" I asked.

Zak put his hands on his hips and looked over at the fridge.

"I completely forgot about that," he groaned.

I nodded.

"Well here," I said.

Zak looked down at the pillows.

"I haven't used them. And here's a can of hairspray you can borrow. I won't need it," I said.

Zak slowly took my offering.

"Aw, Michael. You didn't have to do that. Those pillows will thaw," he said.

I shrugged and reached my collar above my nose to cough again. It sounded as brutal as it felt.

"Just take them. I know you'll wanna go to bed. You can give me the spray back whenever," I said.

Zak frowned, but when he looked up at me, he tried to smile.

"Thanks, Mikey," he said softly.

"I'm going to go to bed now," I announced and padded back to the door.

Zak followed me across the room.

"Oh, um. Well okay. I'm sorry you feel bad," he said.

I just shrugged.

"I'll survive. Thanks, though," I said.

Zak pushed his ringed fingers into his jean pockets.

"I feel bad, though. I always stick you in the worst spots on lockdowns," he said, a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"Don't feel bad. Just get some sleep. You look like shit," I said jokingly.

Zak smiled and reached out to hug me, but I backed away. He dropped his arms, the saddest look I had ever seen on his face.

"I don't want you to get sick. You get mean when you're sick," I said.

There was this time back when I first started when Zak caught this head cold that would not go away for anything. He had male PMS for three weeks straight.

"I won't get sick, Mikey. Come here. I feel bad for you," he said.

Not being able to ignore him, I walked into him and hugged him. When we pulled away, I turned away and sneezed.

"Oh my God, my nose!" I groaned.

"Go on and get some sleep. If you need me to run and get you something, just call," he said.

I nodded.

"Thank-you, Zak," I said.

Zak smiled.

"Welcome. Sleep tight, Mikes," he said.

"Goodnight, Zak," I said as I shuffled back off to my room and shut the door to change into a sweatshirt and a pair of oversized "Big Steppin'" sweatpants that Aaron had given me.

I snuggled into bed, but sleep wouldn't come for my developing headache and increasing chills.

Xxx

I had probably gotten an hour or two of sleep when I woke up. I wasn't sure. I had lost track of time. I awoke around 7:30 p.m. My room was hot as hell. I pulled off my covers and ripped the sweatshirt off of me, then grabbed a tank top from my suitcase and was going to go use the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. I groaned and went to open the door. If the boys had called shenanigans again, I was going to slam the door in their faces.  
When I opened the door, I jumped.

"Shit," I groaned, rubbing my head when a wave of dizziness washed over me.

Zak was standing in front of me in one of his jackets with all the patches and black sweats that he probably had slept in.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked.

I pushed my hair out of my face. I knew I looked terrible.

"Like shit," I replied.

Zak stuck his bottom lip out.

"I'm sorry," he said.

I leaned against the door jamb and propped my head against it.

"Yo, Zak! Whatcha got there?" we heard Aaron call from down the hall.

It was then I noticed Zak carrying something covered in aluminum foil. When he saw Aaron approaching, he moved it away.

"Nothing. What do you have?" Zak asked.

I looked to see Aaron holding a bag with familiar yellow and white lettering.

"Wha-oh! Footlongs," Aaron said.

Zak nodded. That's when Aaron finally noticed me.

"Hey, Mikey!" he said and walked up to me to give me a hug, "Don't sneeze on me."

I tried to laugh as I hugged him, but my ribs hurt too much.

"You feeling better, short one?" he asked when we pulled away.

"No," I replied as he petted my head like a dog.

"Aww, Mikey," he said.

"What about Nick? Has anyone checked on him?" Zak asked.

Aaron looked quickly over his shoulder to where I assumed Nick's door was and then back.

"Dude, he is OUT! He chugged some NyQuil earlier. He's been out since we got back from Hard Rock. I was going to wake him and ask if he wanted a sandwich or something but Billy told me not to," Aaron said.

"Yeah, man. Don't wake up. We'll see him in the morning," said Zak.

Aaron nodded.

"Well, I'm going to go scarf down this here sandwich. Mikey, feel better," Aaron said.

He began to walk behind Zak.

"Thanks, Aaron," I said.

Aaron pointed to Zak and then winked at me, then turned away as if nothing happened when Zak raised his head. Zak waited until Aaron closed his door before speaking.

"You hungry?" he asked.

I absently watched Aaron's door.

"Kind of, now that you mention it," I replied.

"Good, 'cause I made mini pizzas," he said.

"No way. Really?" I asked, becoming slightly more interested in the covered dish in his hand.

"Pepperoni and regular cheese," he said, lifting off the aluminum foil, "I ran down to the grocery store earlier and made these up and thought I would share."

The sweet smell of baked bread and tomato-y pizza sauce flew up my nose, making my stomach make the most miniscule growl of hunger, but it was there.

"And," Zak said as if he were making some big announcement.

His free hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle.

"I picked you up some apple juice," he said.

I knew my eyes must have gotten huge when he held up that bottle. Zak laughed as I gently took the bottle as if it were made out of delicate glass.

"Oh my God, I love you," I said.

Zak laughed. The deal with the apple juice stems back about a month ago when we went on a ghost hunt in a cemetery in Vermont. The next morning we stopped at a little diner for breakfast before flying out to our next location. For some reason, I went completely ape shit over the news that they had apple juice. Usually, I would order a chocolate milk for breakfast or if we were in a rush, I would get a bottle of Starbucks from a gas station. I guess I had not had apple juice since I was little, but when they handed me the cup of it, I was in heaven. Ever since then, Aaron had made fun of me for it. But when we stopped for bathroom breaks, I would find a bottle of apple juice in my seat in the van. No one ever said anything, but I had had a suspicious feeling that it was either Aaron or Zak. Now, I was convinced that it had been Zak the entire time.  
I invited Zak in and he set his pizzas on the counter in the kitchenette. After using the bathroom as previously planned, I shuffled back to my bed to clear off some of my things, like my phone and laptop.

"How much sleep did you get?" he asked as he threw away the aluminum foil.

I groaned and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Not much," I replied.

Zak looked over at me. He seemed concerned by this.

"Well," he went on, "what have you been up to?"

He picked up the tray of pizzas and brought them over to the bed, setting them in the middle and leaning up against my pillows. I crawled over to sit beside him.

"Watching cartoons," I replied.

Zak snorted a laugh as pulled his jacket off, spotting Looney Toons muted on the TV.

"Wow, Mikes," he said.

I opened my bottle of apple juice and took a sip. It felt so good going down because the back of my throat was so raw from coughing. Zak reached behind me to grab the remote and un-muted the TV.

"You can change that if you want," I said.

Zak went ahead and began flipping through channels. I didn't mind. In reality, I hated the Looney Toons, but when you're sick, even Spongebob Squarepants is intriguing to watch. Don't get me wrong, I like Spongebob, but a little of that damn laugh can go very far.

"I didn't get any forks anything," Zak said, "but they're small enough to eat with the hands. Just don't burn yourself."

I looked down at the tray to see two pepperoni pizzas and two cheeses. Zak reached down and picked one of his pepperonis up took a huge bite out of it as he continued to change the channels. I gingerly picked up a cheese one and blew on it before taking a bite. I could barely taste it, but it was still good, nonetheless.

"There's nothing on!" Zak complained.

He flipped over Oprah's OWN channel and I stopped him when he hit the Travel Channel.

"Ghost Adventures is on!" I said with a mouthful of pizza, grabbing at his arm as he was trying to keep the remote out of reach.

"Michael, we're not watching this!" he said sternly.

"I haven't seen this one!" I whined.

"This one is so old! This was like, season four!" he argued.

I had to pull away from him to cough.

"Fine. Since you're sick, we'll watch it," he said, giving up and handing the remote back to me.

"Yay!"

"I hate watching myself," he grumbled.

I laughed. We laid on the bed and finished our pizza. We only talked during commercials and I tried not to cough over the show, but there were times where I couldn't help it. We were two hours into the mini-marathon of Ghost Adventures when I got into this coughing fit and had to get up and stick my head under the sink to get a drink. I didn't even think about the cups by the coffee maker.

"Michael, you're sounding worse," Zak observed.

I wiped my mouth off on a towel and returned to the bed.

"I feel worse," I grumbled.

Zak picked up the empty tray we had managed to push to the foot of the bed and set it on the little table by the phone. We returned to the bed at the same time. I plopped down as Zak crawled across the bed. One of his hands reached up to feel my forehead, then my left cheek. See? Mother!

"You're a little warm. Not too bad," he said.

Warm? My toes were like ice!

"Then why am I so cold?" I asked.

Zak's eyes went soft. I knew he felt bad for making me stay in the cold, drafty balcony, and even more so now that I had a cold.  
Zak crawled backwards and lifted the covers.

"Come here," he said.

I sighed and did as I was told.

"This isn't going to help," I told him.

I laid down on my side facing him with one freezing hand under my face and the other stuffed under the cool pillow. Zak then did something I didn't expect him to do. Instead of tucking me in like the Mother Goose that he was, he pulled up the covers and slid in beside me. I didn't know what to think as his arms went around me and he held me to his chest.

"Warm?" he asked.

I wanted to argue, but I didn't have the strength when his body heat transferred to me.

"Yes," I replied.

Zak reached over my side and grabbed the remote, turning the TV off.

"Zak," I mumbled.

"Yeah?" he asked.

I really didn't know what to think about this. I mean, it wasn't like trying to warm up in the van. The man was in my bed! The conversation I had with Aaron came back to me and I tried to shake it back out of my thoughts. He was not right. But dammit, Zak's being here was comforting! Still...

"This is awkward," I said.

"Mikey, shut up and sleep. You've had a long ass day," he said.

I was quiet again. Why did he do this? I knew he cared for this other guys like a brother but this wasn't too brotherly towards me. This was different. Ever since he hopped out of the van out my house he was very warm and affectionate towards me. Holy fuck! What if Aaron had been right, but about the wrong person? What if what he saw was coming from Zak?  
My eyes snapped open to see Zak with messy, limp hair, closed eyes, and his lips resting in a flat line. I couldn't help but think of one word: attractive. Except...gah! I needed to talk to Aaron again as soon as I felt better. I looked back down to his chest and the silvery pendant dangling from a necklace. I had never asked what it was or what it meant, but Zak was a little bit private about his winged crosses and symbolism. But he was very attentive towards me, and it made me begin to wonder. I shouldn't wonder though. This was still work. Shouldn't bring drama to work. Oh, who am I kidding?

"Hey, Zak?" I asked softly.

I was staring at his pecks that his grey t-shirt outlined. I had this overwhelming urge to touch, but I refrained. Note to self: CALM THE FUCK DOWN!

"Thanks for the pizza. You didn't have to do that," I said.

Zak's eyes opened and he stared at me for a minute. He looked deep in thought, and I was hoping he would explain to me why he acted so caring towards me, but he said nothing of the sort. Instead:

"Welcome, Mikey," he said softly.

Too tired to think anymore, and feeling better in Zak's company, I closed my eyes and absently snuggled deeper into him before I fell asleep.


	7. NyQuil

Zombies. Okay, I got this.

The ceiling of the dilapidated barn fell in and several zombies fell out and came after me. I ran out the door as three of them, bleeding, groaning, and drooling, loped after me. The sun was setting beyond the cliff, and I knew that was my only escape. I would rather fall into the End of the World than have my brains eaten.  
Two gunshots came from behind me and Drooly and Groany fell away, leaving me with the vicious one. I swear to God, it reminded me of the little crazy guy who beat the shit out of Jim Carrey in _Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls_. This little fucker was crazy fast, and I couldn't believe that it hadn't collapsed into pieces. Decomposing bodies cannot run! The world doesn't work that way!  
I had no idea where Nick and Aaron were, but up ahead, I could see him standing near the cliff.

"Oh, please don't let him be a zombie!" I prayed.

Thankfully, he wasn't. As soon as I was within reached. He grabbed me and held me close with one arm, his other snapping up in a split second to grab Bleedy by the neck, stopping the zombie dead in his tracks. It was like from the_Avengers_, when Loki grabbed Hawkeye's arrow.

"She's mine!" Bleedy growled in the most demonic voice I had ever heard in my life.

And it was something I never wanted to hear again.

"No," Zak said sternly.

He yanked the zombie towards him, getting in the creature's face. I knew if I was in that zombie's position, I would have peed myself in fear. No joke!

"She belongs to me," Zak said.

What I can only describe was a look of shock that crossed the zombie's face before Zak's iron grip crushed the zombie's neck. It's blue-green skin came off in chunks through Zak's fingers and transparent green fluids and blood oozed down his hand until Bleedy's head popped completely off. The corpse crumpled into the grass.  
Zak turned to me and lifted my chin with his fingertips.

"Hey," he said softly.

I blinked at him.

"As long as I'm around, I will never let anything or anyone hurt you. Understand?"

I couldn't stop watching this big blue eyes of his. I closed them, but when I opened them again, I was awake.  
I quickly sat up and looked around the hotel room. The dim light of the rising sun was filtering in through the curtains, turning the entire room colorless. I looked to my side to see the clock turn to 6:15. I sighed in relief. It was morning and there were no zombies. Only this deep pain in my throat and sinuses. I turned to my other side and was surprised to see Zak still laying there. I don't know why, but I just figured he would wait until I fell asleep before leaving.  
He was laying on his back with one arm resting on his chest and the other up by his head. I wanted to just lay back down and go to sleep again, but I really needed to get up. We were supposed to get up around 7:00 and be packed up and in the vans around 8:00, but I decided to get up now. My stuffed nose and the crap in my chest made me want to take a hot shower, but I really needed to get on the laptop and get to work editing the portraits of the boys that I took at the theater. They were due in by this afternoon, and I usually had this stuff done way early. I needed to quit moping around, suck it up, and work. This was still work, after all.  
I slipped out of bed. My insides felt gross, if that makes any sense at all. I moved around the bed and reached into my suitcase for clothes. I tried to be careful and not wake up Zak, but I knew if I turned the shower on or flushed the toilet he would get up. I picked a t-shirt, undies and stuff, and a pair of jeans before straightening up to look at Zak. The pretend words Zak had said to me in my dream still rang loud and clear in my ears. They weren't even real, but I found myself clinging to them as if he had really said them to me.

"_Damn Aaron_," I thought.

Zak groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. I huffed and let my arms fall, clothing hitting the sides of my legs loud enough to break the dead silence in the room. I had to leave the room before my mind took over and made me get a half hour of sleep. I walked into the bathroom and started the shower, turning the heat up as much as I could stand it.  
While washing my hair, that damned dream was still on my mind. I began daydreaming, slowly forgetting that I need to be out of here around 7:30. Still in kind of a sleepy daze as I rinsed the shitty hotel shampoo out, I began thinking of unrealistic situations in my head. What if Zak had been running from the zombies? Would I have saved him? Of course! I would have saved any of the crew from zombies. I had this sudden angry thought as I imagined Zak running from Bleedy, Groany, and Drooly. If Zak was getting attacked by anything or anyone, they wouldn't fucking dare if I was around. They would have to go through me first. Zak is-  
I froze in the shower.

"I _have_ to talk to Aaron!" I hissed to myself before accidentally getting conditioner in my eyes.

When I was done, I got dressed, towel dried my hair, and threw it into a bun before walking back out to where the sink was. When I turned on the light to look at myself, I literally thought I was looking at someone else. I knew my hair looked terrible, but I didn't plan on changing it. But my eyes were crazy bloodshot. They looked like some horrific Christmas show, with red stringing out from the green. My nose and cheeks were red, and there were purple shadows under my eyes. It wasn't like makeup couldn't fix it a bit, but I just didn't have the energy.  
Shutting off the light, I walked back out by the kitchenette and the front door. The clock on the nightstand glowed 6:45. Dang. I thought I had been in there longer. Zak was still laying on his stomach on the bed, but when I entered, he moved and rolled back over.

"What are you doing up, Mikes?" he asked.

My nose, which had been swollen shut all night, made this disgusting creaking noise and one of my nostrils let the floodgates open. I turned away from Zak and grabbed a paper towel in the kitchen, quickly and very loudly blowing my nose in it.

"Gaah!" I growled.

I threw away the towel and returned to where I was.  
"I needed to take a shower," I replied to Zak's question.

He sat up, scratching his chest through his shirt.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

I shrugged. I didn't feel all that great.

"Not really," I mumbled.

I proceed to cough hard into the crook of my arm. Zak patted the spot beside him.

"Come here. Lay down," he said.

God, how I wanted to lay down. I couldn't though. We both couldn't sleep anymore. We had to get around and get going.

"No, I have to pack and I need to catch up on editing. I haven't even started the Maizy blog," I said.

Zak shook his head and grabbed his phone off of the nightstand. I didn't even remember him bringing it in.

"Don't worry about it. Come here. Go back to sleep. I'll do the Maizy blog in the van," he said.

"No way. Last time you did that, you messed everything up," I argued.

Zak just smiled.

"Not everything," he grinned.

"Whatever," I replied as I approached him.

Zak was deep into Twitter when he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me back down onto the bed. I plopped down on my side.

"Go to sleep," he said.

"Don't wanna," I argued.

He locked his phone and looked down at me.

"You're gonna. I'll pack your stuff up," he said, getting up.

"No, Zak. You'll find things. Besides, you have your own stuff to pack," I said.

"Already packed," he said as he went to zip up my suitcase.

I glared at him.

"You planned this, didn't you?" I asked.

Zak didn't reply as he reached down to pick my tennis shoes up and throw them on the bed. I smiled at him and closed my eyes. I'd put my shoes on in a minute.

"Michael, come on. Time to go," I heard Zak say.

I could feel my foot being shaken. I opened my eyes to see an empty hotel room with only me, Zak looming over the foot of the bed, and untied shoes on my feet.

"Where's all my stuff?" I asked groggily.

I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep.

"In the van," Zak replied.

"Really?" I asked.

Zak nodded.

"Did you make sure you got everything? Chargers? Dirty clothes bag in the bathroom?" I asked.

Zak nodded and nodded some more.

"I checked the whole room over three or four times. You're good to go," he said.

I slowly sat up and looked at the clock. It said 7:51.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, but not without barking out a cough.

I reached over to tie my shoes and followed Zak out the door.

Outside, it was super cold. Aaron was already in the van while Nick was standing around with his hands in his pockets.

"Dude! You're alive!" Zak shouted jokingly.

Nick smiled at Zak.

"I know, right? That medicine knocked me off my ass," said Nick.

"Really?" Zak asked.

"Yeah, I feel so much better this morning. I mean, I'm still coughing and stuff but I feel more normal-like myself," Nick explained.

Zak turned to me and gave me a look.

"What?" I asked.

Before he could reply, Aaron came out of the van screaming and hollering like an idiot.

"Mikey's alive!" he cried.

He ran over and lifted me up, mock crying.

"She's alive! She's alive!"

"And I'm still sick, Aaron," I groaned.

Aaron set me back down and backed away, pretending to be disgusted.

"Gross!" he said in a valley girl accent.

"Nick, do you have any NyQuil left?" Zak asked.

Nick nodded.

"Yeah, man. It's in my bag," Nick said, pointing with his thumb to the back of the van, "Want me to go get it?"

"Yeah, go ahead and grab it. Michael, you're taking this stuff," Zak said.

"Hell no!" I said, "Aaron, run! Let's hide in the van!"

Aaron laughed and grabbed my hand.

"Run! Go!" Aaron shouted, nudging me in the direction of the van.

I ran and felt instantly dizzy, but it was worth it. I clambered up into the middle seat and backed up into the other side. Aaron jumped into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut.

"I should film this," Aaron said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, "Zak force-feeding medicine."

"Don't you dare, Aaron," I growled.

"Or what?" he asked.

I felt a sneeze coming on. Perfect timing! I lifted my arm and sneezed into it. Aaron began yelling.

"Oh God! Michael, you're so gross!" Aaron exclaimed.

"Shut up, Aaron!" I shouted playfully.

Aaron looked out over his shoulder before turning back around and pressing record on his phone.

"Aaron's Vlog. We just got finished with our lockdown at Maizy Theatre the other day and we're fixing to head to the airport but Mikey and Nick got sick so Zak is forcing Mikey to take some medicine and we're in the van hiding,"

"I can't believe you're recording this," I said.

Aaron laughed.

"There's Mikey, and uh, hmm. We don't know where Zak is. Do you see Zak, Mikey?" he asked.

We looked back out the door that I came in, but we couldn't see Zak.

"Dude, I don't see him anywhere," Aaron said.

I peeked over the seats. He knows where we are. He watched us take off running.

"Maybe he got distracted and forgot," I said hopefully.

As soon as I said that, the doors behind me flew open and both me and Aaron started screaming. I immediately went into a coughing fit.

"Holy shit, dude! What the hell? What the hell, Zak?" Aaron shouted.

"What kind of-" I coughed again, "van has doors on both sides like," and again, "that?"

"This one. Come take this shit," Zak said.

Zak reached for me, but I was already perched up on top of the back of the seat and out of reach.

"Michael, do you want to get on that plane with your ears popping and a head full of crud?" Zak asked sternly.

I sighed. He was right. We had only flown twice in the time I had been with them, and the last time we flew my ears would not stop popping for anything. I could only imagine what fresh hell I would be stepping into with a cold on an airplane.

"No," I replied.

Zak waved with his fingers for me to come to him, so I very hesitantly slid back down the seat and scooted to sit on the edge with him standing in front of me with the little cup in one hand and the bottle in the other.

"You'll feel so much better. I promise," Zak said.

I looked away from him and down to my shoes.

"Look at Nick. Look at how much better he feels. Michael, look! He's out there running around and jumping and stuff," Zak said.

I looked over my shoulder to see Nick and Billy running around chasing each other and being their silly selves. I looked away and back to Zak.

"Fine," I groaned.

"Alright," Zak said.

He opened the bottle and began to pour the red liquid into the cup.

"Ah, gross! Did Nick drink out of that cup?" Aaron asked.

"No, he said he just chugged it," Zak said, carefully eyeing the lines on the cup.

Aaron turned his phone towards himself so viewers could see him talk.

"I think Zak'll make a great dad one day," he said.

"Shut up," Zak mumbled as he put the cap back on the bottle.

"Check it, ladies!" Aaron continued.

Zak handed the cup to me.

"I could've poured it myself," I grumbled.

"No you wouldn't have. You're too stubborn," Zak argued.

"This stuff is going to taste awful," I complained.

"Drink it. We're not leaving 'till you do," Zak said, crossing his arms.

"And if I yak it?" I asked.

"Michael, don't throw up," Zak said.

"Mikes, I swear if you puke that, I will puke! Zak, bro, leave the door open in case she does," Aaron said.

I took a deep breath, then closed my nose and downed the medicine, thrusting the cup back in Zak's hand. He took it and backed up. NyQuil is sour and disgusting. I could hardly keep myself from gagging. Aaron was laughing at me.

"Dude! Look at her face. It looks like she ate a Warhead!" Aaron exclaimed.

I swallowed it. I didn't want to but I did. I wish it had been a Warhead instead of NyQuil. Zak took hold of one of my shoulders as I shook my head.

"You gonna be alright, Mikes?" he asked.

I nodded.

"That was foul! That was fucking foul!" I said.

"It'll knock you out here in about half an hour. You can sleep through the whole four hour drive," Zak said.

I coughed and spit outside of the van.

"Yuck, Michael," Aaron complained.

"Do we have any water or something?" I asked, looking in the back of the van for the coolers.

"We're fresh out. We can stop somewhere and get some," Aaron suggested.

I shook my head and crawled to the other side of the van to close the doors.

"Nah, I'll pass. Let's just go," I replied.

Aaron shrugged and pushed his phone back into his pocket. Zak climbed in the van and shut the doors. We had to wait on Nick to get in, so I just sat completely still as my stomach tried to digest the disgusting cherry flavored vomit sauce. When Nick got into the front passenger seat, we were on our way.  
I twisted over and laid my head down in Zak's lap. At this point, I didn't really care what he or I or anyone thought. I felt too crappy to give a damn. Zak pressed his hand to my forehead and cheeks like he had done the night previous.

"You're not hot," he said.

Good. Maybe I was on the mend. I felt better laying down.

As we drove on, my stomach settled and I felt sleepy. Nick and Aaron were arguing over...something. I'm not sure. The conversation went from iPhones to Power Rangers over the duration of five minutes. Now, they were bickering over something else and I was tired of hearing it.

"Hey, Zak?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Where did you pack my iPod?" I asked.

"Your backpack," he replied.

I looked up at him. Good thing his nose was all clear, 'cause I could see right up it.

"Is it in here? Can you reach it?" I asked.

Zak turned at the waist and reached an arm over the seats.

"Do you want your iPod?" he asked.

Duh.

"Mhmm," I replied.

Zak jerked around a little, causing my head to slip and bomb against his leg.

"I don't see it, Mikey," he replied after throwing bags and things around.

Damn.

"Aaron, that game is ten times better than the stupid shit you play!" Nick argued.

"Oh, whatever, Nick!" Aaron snapped back.

Zak shook his head and leaned forward to reach into his backpack, pulling out his iPod and a pair of earbuds.

"You wanna share?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied.

Zak handed me an earbud as he waited for his iPod to boot up. I slid one in my ear and crossed my arms. Zak turned on something electronic. I didn't know much electronic music. It sounded like Dubstep, but that was fine with me. Anything was better than a video game argument, even thought I could still kind of hear it.

Xxx

Nick was bored. They were two hours and eleven minutes into their drive. Aaron was silent as they listened to the radio, and Nick had run out of things to talk about with the crew's equipment technician. So, Nick turned around to see if Michael or Zak was asleep.  
When he turned, he found Michael sleeping with her head in Zak's lap and Zak pushing a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Nick's shoulders slumped as he watched Zak watch her. All this time, he knew something was up, and this was proof. Zak ran his fingertips over her temples, pushing unruly strands backwards and out of Michael's eyes. Nick had never seen Zak be so gentle and so affectionate to anything or anyone. He was amazed that this big, over the top masculine guy turned to goop.  
He saw it. Aaron saw it. They had known since they pulled up to Michael's house in Fayetteville and knocked on the door that Zak liked her. Aaron had said it was from the time he had spoken with her on the phone, but Nick thought that maybe the connection between her voice and her appearance did it for Zak.  
They were just alike. Nick had once said she was a mini-Zak, but that was only to make Aaron laugh. She had no tattoos, but had that slightly gothic look that matched Zak. She also had that same stubbornness as well.  
But out of the handful of girls Nick had seen Zak around, he looked at none of them like he looked at Michael. She was not girly and flirty. She could care less about her appearance, and she was never afraid to go on a lockdown, and Nick thought that that is what attracted Zak the most.

"You really care about her a lot, huh?" Nick asked quietly, as to not wake Michael.

He expected Zak to sit straight up and pretend like he had not been doing what he had been doing. Instead, Zak just continued. He inhaled deeply before replying to Nick.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

Nick watched on curiously. Zak sighed as he gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips. Zak looked up at Nick.

"Things are going to get a lot harder," he whispered.

Nick shook his head.

"Zak, no. This is different," Nick said.

Zak swallowed and looked back down at Michael.

"I know," Zak murmured.

"Zak," Nick said.

Zak looked back up.

"Do you like her _that_ much?" Nick asked.

Zak said nothing for what felt like forever for Nick. Then he nodded.

"It's not like with anyone else," Zak said.

Nick smiled.

"That's good, isn't it?" Nick asked.

Zak nodded, a smile coming across his face.

Aaron looked up from his driving in the rearview mirror. He saw Michael turn her head into the bend of Zak's leg. Zak draped an arm across Michael's stomach, slightly curving it around her. Aaron thought that Zak did this so Michael wouldn't go flying if he had to brake hard. Nick saw it as something else. Aaron looked at the two and smiled. He knew he had been right.


	8. Shenanigans at Zak's 1

Zak Bagans. The man hardly ever gets a break! If he's not doing lockdowns and stuff for "Ghost Adventures," he's working on stuff for his music and other things. I know that most of the time, he's extremely preoccupied with work. However, you would think that he would take the time out of his busy schedule to tell me that he was kidnapping me for a week. Yes, a week!  
As far as I knew, I thought we were just heading to our next location. When Nick brought up staying over at Aaron's house, Las Vegas came up and it was suddenly unveiled at the airport that Zak had preplanned the sleeping arrangements. Apparently, my staying at a hotel was out of the question. So now, I find myself sneeze and cough free (thanks to that damned NyQuil), and walking out of the airport with Zak to the shuttle that would take us to the car garage.

"These things are so gross," Zak commented as we boarded the little bus.

I cringed.

"Don't touch anything," I told him.

When we were dropped off at the car garage, Zak and I grabbed our luggage and walked down the many rows of cars.

"My baby!" Zak squealed.

We came up to a lonely black sports car that sat horrendously low to the ground. It was one of those that could zip through traffic like a house fly through a crowd of people. Zak walked around to the driver's side and hugged the car, kissing the roof.

"Daddy missed you," he said.

"Oh my God!" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, Michael. I need a moment," he said, still hugging it.

I just shook my head.

"Wouldn't it be better to put yourself inside it?" I asked, then winked at him.

Zak shot straight up and glared at me.

"Ha ha! You're so funny," he said sarcastically, "Potty mind. You would like me to do that, wouldn't you?"

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"How the hell else am I going to get to your house?" I asked.

Zak narrowed his eyes at me.

"Oh, I'll just leave your ass here," he said.

I reached for my jacket pocket.

"Then, I'll tell on you," I said jokingly.

"I'm serious," he went on.

I unlocked my phone and pretended that I had called somebody.

"I'm calling Aaron!" I sang out.

Zak unlocked his car and reached in to pop the trunk.

"Stop it," he said and walked back around the car, taking my suitcase out of my grasp, "Give me your shit."

I just laughed and let him throw our luggage in the trunk. I walked over to the passenger side and got into the car as Zak slammed the back shut. I fell in love with the car as soon as I sat down. The interior was black leather and there was all this nice chrome detailing and a million and one knobs and buttons on the control panel. The whole thing was cool inside and smelled thickly of leather and Zak. You know how some people have their own smell? Like, not an odor, but just a smell? That was Zak, mixed with whatever deodorant or cologne he was wearing. Probably both the same brand and scent. He had to have things that matched. And apparently the night before when he spent the night in my room, he stole my pillow that I had taken on the plane. It smelled like I was laying on him, and it was wonderful!  
Zak reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. Still plugged into the radio was an auxiliary cord which Zak plugged into his earphone jack. He started the car, which started with this tremendous roar, then dubstep blasted from these amazing speakers.

"Dude, I fucking love this car," I commented.

"Wait 'till we hit the highway," he said smugly.

He put the car in gear and drove down the ramp and out through the gates. I laid my head back and just enjoyed the ride as Zak danced to the song currently playing. I just tapped my fingers against the door. I was really starting to dig dubstep, even though I was a devoted metal head. Wubs were addictive.  
It wasn't long before I felt my phone go off in my pocket. I reached for it and nudged Zak, who without any command, automatically reached for the volume knob and turned the sound down to just barely a throb.

"Probably Aaron. Tell him to go away," Zak said.

I was surprised when I saw that it wasn't Aaron, or even Nick, but my dear old Aunt Patch. I burst out laughing.

"Oh my God, Zak! It's your favorite person!" I exclaimed.

Zak's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What? Who?" he asked.

"My Aunt Patch," I replied.

Zak snorted and began laughing. Back when he and the boys came and picked me up, Patch had been at the house to see me off. She freaking hit on all three of the guys! Nick was scared of her, Aaron had been confused, and Zak was quite amused. He had gotten a kick out of the old eccentric woman, and she had been the center of the few conversations we shared when I first started working with them.

"Oh my God, dude! Let me talk to her!" Zak said excitedly, a tattooed arm reaching for the phone.

"No! Here, I'll put it on speaker," I said.

I pressed the side button and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Michael! You are harder to get a hold of than the President!" Patch screeched.

I was so confused.

"What the fuck?" I mouthed to Zak.

Zak had been holding back this laugh since I answered the call, and once he had heard Patch screech my name, he lost it and laughed the most hilarious laugh I had ever heard. He was laughing too hard to reply.

"Patch, I'm working," I said, trying to hide my laughing.

"I know that," she said stiffly.

Zak was panting, trying to keep his composure, but when she spat out that last thing, he had to bury his face in the steering wheel. I blindly punched him, and immediately regretted it. His shoulder was as hard as steel.

"Motherfucker!" I mouthed, favoring my hand as white hot pain ripped through my knuckles.

It was a good thing we were at a stop light, because he was hanging out the window, crying from laughing so hard.

"Why haven't I heard from you?" she demanded.

"Let me see your hand," Zak whispered.

Not thinking, I held my hurt hand out. That's when Zak poked me in the side, causing me to jump into the door.

"Patch, I haven't had signal in the last few locations," I replied, then slapped Zak's massive bicep.

Zak giggled like a little kid.

"Well why didn't you bum some change and go to a phone booth?" she asked.

I laughed.

"Those don't even exist anymore," I said.

"Oh, damn government..." she grumbled and trailed off with words neither me or Zak could understand.

"What the fuck?" Zak whispered

I just waved him off.

"Well what are you doing? When are you coming home? Have you even talked to your mother? She was at the grocery store the other day and saw a poster of your boys. Did you take that one?"

"Um, probably not," I finally got to reply.

Zak was just shaking his head.

"When are you coming home? You've been working yourself to death. You know my brother Jimeney-"

"Chimney?" Zak whispered.

I covered the phone.

"Jimeney. Like what the British say," I whispered.

"No way!" Zak laughed.

"-died of overworking himself. You should come home today and break. What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm on break now, Aunt Patch," I droned.

"Break? Why aren't you here?" she asked.

"We're in Las Vegas," I said.

Patch made a loud "whoop whoop" noise.

"Partying in Vegas! Ooo, sweetheart, that's groovy. You gonna finally find you a man?" she asked.

"For the love of God, no!" I replied, "The boys," with the exception of Nick, "live in Vegas. I'm staying with Zak for a couple of days."

"Oh damn! Is that the cute one?" she asked.

I closed my eyes and squeezed my phone, willing it to crumble to a million pieces. Zak was rolling.

"Patch!" I snapped.

"The one with the black hair, right?" she asked.

I could feel my cheeks heating up. Dammit, dammit, dammit!

"Yes, Aunt Patch," I replied.

"Mmm guurrl!" she said.

I leaned back into the car seat and pretended to bang my head against the window.

"I'm gonna kill myself. I swear, I'll do it," I said sarcastically.

Zak laughed and leaned over. I just gave him the phone. He was itching to talk to her.

"Hey Aunt Patch," he said.

Patch squealed so loud we both had to close our ears.

"She is so embarrasing!" I whispered.

"Zachary, are you taking care of my favorite niece?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

Then leaned over to me.

"Favorite, huh?" he asked.

"Shut up!" I mouthed.

"Will you do something for me, Zakky-poo?" she asked.

"Oh my God!" I shouted, covering my face in my hands.

Zak bit his bottom lip. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed.

"Yes?" Zak asked.

Zak blinked several times as if he was really wanting to hear the answer, his mouth wide open in this smile that reminded me of a cartoon character.

"Will you please find my Michael a nice Vegas boy?" she asked.

I was screaming and Zak was laughing so hard he swerved.

"Watch the road!" I hissed.

"I will see what I can do," Zak replied.

"I swear, if she does not come home with a man by Thanksgiving, she's had it!"

I stole my phone back and turned the speaker phone.

"You know you were on speaker phone," I hissed into the phone.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Anyways, why don't you date one of those ghost hunters? They're nice boys. What about the big bald one?"

"Aaron? I don't think so," I said.

Zak was so confused.

"Well how about the other one?"

"He's married, Patch," I said.

"Oh damn!" she said, and I could hear her hitting something.

"Nick?" Zak asked.

I rolled my eyes and nodded.

"Well, I think you need to be with Zak. I saw you two on that episode in the house. I know what's going on, going to his house and all," she said.

I'm going to kill her.

"Patch!" I whined.

"He's quite the attractive young man. I know what love is when I see it. I listen to The Beatles," she said.

"You sound all proud of yourself, Patch," I said, looking over at Zak.

She was right. Zak acted like such a tool in public, but after living with these guys for almost four months, I saw right through it. Zak was looking good today, with his hair up in his signature faux-hawk, big black sunglasses, black t-shirt, jeans, and shoes. His tanned skin looked nice in the afternoon sun, even though his tinted windows filtered the light. He looked completely relaxed and happy to be back in Vegas.

"_Damn_," I thought.

"Michael, if you don't nab that boy up, I sure as heck will," she said.

"You are old enough to be his mother!" I exclaimed, then laughed.

"How old is he?" she asked.

I cut my eyes at Zak, who was absorbed in the song that was playing. He was in his own world, not even paying attention. I knew how old he was, but I wasn't going to say it because it would catch his attention.

"I know he's older than you," she said, hinting around the fact that I shouldn't even think about being with him, but out of all the drawbacks I could think of, age was the last thing on my mind.

"I don't care," I said, picking on the shreds of denim on my knee that I tore out at a festival once.

"Oh, I know you don't," Patch replied, then laughed, "but I mean it, Michael. Don't come home until you bag you a boyfriend."

I shook my head.

"I won't," I replied.

"We're almost home," Zak murmured.

"Okay," I said, "Patch, I gotta go. I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Okay, hun. And for the love, call your mother," she said.

I didn't want to talk to my mom, but I really needed to. Maybe when I got bored, if Zak allowed boredom.

"I will," I said.

"Okay, sweetie. Have fun. Say 'bye' to Zak for me," she said.

I pulled the phone away from my head.

"Patch says 'bye'," I told him.

I held the phone up between us.

"Bye, Aunt Patch!" he said loudly.

I heard Patch laughing as I put the phone back up to my ear.

"He's such a character. Okay, goodnight, Michael," she said.

"Night, Patch," I said.

And then she FINALLY hung up.

"I freaking love her. We need to fly her out here next time we're on break. That'll be Thanksgiving, though. Meh," Zak said.

"You do not want her out here. She'll be into the booze before noon," I said.

"Then we can all party," Zak said as we turned into his neighborhood.

"I don't drink," I told him.

Zak shrugged.

"You can watch," he said.

"I'd rather not," I said jokingly.

Zak liked to sing when he was drunk, and even though he did have amazing vibrato, he couldn't hold a tune for long. One thing I noticed when riding with him is that his singing was only tolerable when he wasn't trying. Other times, we had to plug our ears up.  
Zak just laughed at me.

"We're here," he announced as he turned into the slightly inclined driveway and opened the garage with a button on the control panel near the rearview mirror. The garage opened and the Bentley rolled smoothly in.

We got out and got our stuff out of the trunk in the dark garage. I then followed Zak through a door that lead into the kitchen.

"Here," Zak said, "let me take your stuff up stairs."

I gladly handed Zak my luggage. I could hear a dog bark and was suddenly face to face with Zak's adorable collie mix, Gracie. I had heard all about his precious pup, and was excited to finally get to meet her. She padded up to me and sat down, staring up at me expectantly. I knelt down and began to pet her.

"Hello, sweetheart," I said.

Gracie jumped into me and began licking my face. I laughed and pushed her back, scratching her ears and telling her what a good girl she was. I loved dogs, and Gracie made me miss my basset hound who Patch was currently dog-sitting.  
Zak found me still in the garage doorway petting Gracie. He came over and slid down on his knees, hugging his beloved dog from the side. Gracie got so excited to see him that she jumped all over him and had his whole face licked in a matter of seconds. I knew he treated that dog like gold, and I knew that she probably missed her master to pieces.

"How are you, Gracie? Did you miss daddy?" he asked.

Gracie looked at him all doe-eyed before sticking her tongue out to lick the tip of his nose. It was so cute, and I felt suddenly jealous of that damn dog. If he treated his car and his dog this well, I wanted how he treated girls he really liked.  
Sudden impossible situations began to play out in my head, involving me with Zak and I had to really control myself. It was getting harder and harder to stop myself from thinking of Zak in _that_ way and even harder still to keep my emotions in check. God, I'm jealous of a damn dog!  
Zak hugged Gracie, and the way she opened her mouth looked like the world's happiest smile. Zak was also all smiles as he looked up to me, holding that dog as tight as he held me when I was sick.

"That's adorable, Zak. I have to get a picture," I said, pulling my phone from my pocket.

"Don't put it on Twitter if you do," he said.

I shook my head as I opened my camera application.

"I won't. You know I hoard my pictures," I said, "Not sharing that stuff with anyone!"

Zak laughed. Gracie was done hugging and tried to jerk away.

"No, baby. Stay. Mikey, take the damn picture," he said.

"Be still, then!" I said.

When the application opened, I tilted my phone side and pointed it at Zak and Gracie.

"Say 'cheese'!" I said.

"How cliché, Michael," Zak commented.

Gracie's mouth fell open and I laughed.

"Zak, look! Gracie's got this down," I said.

Zak looked down at her before looking back up.

"She's a pro. You ready?"

"Smile, Zak," I said.

Zak smiled sweetly and I snapped the picture.

"Okay, I got it," I announced.

Zak loosened his hold on Gracie reached a hand to me.

"Let me see," he said.

I pulled the photo up and handed him my phone. When he saw it, he smiled widely.

"Come here, Michael. Gracie, get back here. I'm not done with you," he said.

I moved over to him as he pulled out his own phone. Gracie had wandered over to her food bowl and gave Zak a look. She looked like she was saying "Hell no!"

"Gracie!" Zak hissed.

Gracie lowered her head and returned to Zak's side. Zak wrapped an arm around Gracie and then tried to wrap an arm around me, but he couldn't take a picture like that.

"Damn! I need a third arm," Zak complained.

I twisted and pulled his phone out of his hand.

"Here," I said, outstretching my arm to it's limits.

"Smile!" I said.

I felt Zak pull me in close enough to be pressed to his side. The bright as hell flash went off and the digital shutter sound went off.

"God! My eyes!" I groaned as I handed Zak his phone.

Zak giggled as he let Gracie go.

"I forgot about the flash. Sorry. You okay?"

Zak wrapped his arm tighter around me as I rubbed my eyes.

"Now you know how I felt at Maizy," he said.

"Shup," I grumbled.

Zak laughed and we got up and left the kitchen.

That night, I found a DVD of the original "Dracula" in the living room. Zak had like every version, but the Universal Studios one was my favorite. There was nothing on television, so after we ate dinner and had a shower and all that jazz, we hunkered down in the living room and watching it. I loved this movie, and I was laughing at some of Bela Lugosi's over the top facial expressions.

"Michael!" Zak complained, "You're ruining the atmosphere!"

"You were laughing, too!" I argued.

Zak just grinned. We were laying opposite each other-he on the couch and me on the opposite loveseat. I wanted the couch, but since I was shorter, I got the loveseat. Whatever, Zak.  
Later, during the scene where Mina and Lucy are in the bathroom doing whatever they were doing, Zak was messing around on his phone after he had told me to quote "Watch the damn movie" and get off of mine. Hypocrite.

"Holy shit!" Zak shouted, sitting straight up as he stared at his phone.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"What?" I asked worriedly.

"Hold on," he said.

He reached for the remote on the coffee table and pressed pause.

"Oh my God! What's today?" he asked.

"Sunday. Why?" I asked.

Shit. Did our plans get fucked up again?

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Halloween is this weekend! Let's go camping!" he said excitedly.

"Camping?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! There's this cool resort Billy took us to one year. You get to run around their haunted trail. Aaron pisses his pants on it," he said.

I burst out laughing.

"Haunted trail?" I asked.

"Dude, it's scary as shit! You wanna go? We don't leave for Seattle until next Monday," he said, "We'll back in time."

"Hell yeah!" I said excitedly.

"Really?"

"Really, really!" I said.

Zak quickly turned back to his phone.

"Okay, let me text Billy back. We can make reservations Tuesday 'cause Aaron and Nick are coming over tomorrow. We have stuff to go through," he said.

I stole the remote and resumed the movie.

"I don't wanna work," I grumbled.

"Michael, I already did your blog. You do the rest or I will not let you have any candy this weekend."

I gasped in mock horror.

"You wouldn't!" I said.

"All the Hershey's are mine, Mikey! All mine!" he said teasingly.

I reached in the floor, picking up my Pillow Pet and chucking at him. Zak giggled and hugged it. It wasn't the plan, but now I wanted him to sleep with it. It would smell amazing in the morning. Gracie, who was laying next to the couch, looked up and looked from me to him. She was giving me that look that Aaron had, almost. She knew something was different, and she seemed okay with it.  
We reverted our attention back to the movie, eventually falling asleep before Van Helsing staked Dracula through the heart.


	9. That's Amore

Zak had things to go get taken care of the next morning, and by "things" he meant the gym. Nick and Aaron came over before Zak and I even woke up. Aaron grabbed me by the ankles and yanked me off of the couch. Not cool, bro. One of these days, I was going to do something to him.

Nick and I had made our way to Zak's pool table room, which was immediately my favorite room in the house. The walls were black with decorations that screamed Zak. On one wall was a long table with Zak's computer stuff on it. Nick and I pulled up chairs and began to work while Aaron played pool with Gracie. I had gotten pretty far behind on analysis since I had been sick, so Nick agreed to help me go through pictures.

I was digging through memory cards while Nick was looking at some of the promo photos and shots of the theater.

"These are so cool, Mikey," Nick said.

"What are?" I asked, finally finding the cards I was looking for.

"These shots of the theater, Mikey. I love the lighting and the color. I really love the wide angle view here on the steps," Nick said.

I looked up to see him pointed to the picture on the computer screen.

"I'm jealous," Aaron said as he shot a ball into the hole.

I just shrugged.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," I said as I put the other cards back in their little pocket on my camera bag.

"But they're so creepy looking. The place didn't look like that when we were there," he said.

"Did these make it on the blog?" Aaron asked, coming up behind us.

I sighed as I pulled out my laptop.

"No, Zak did the last blog for me. He didn't have the pictures. I just sent them in to Travel. Aaron, I emailed you some on the plane so you could share them," I said.

Aaron nodded.

"Okay, cool," he said and resumed playing his game.

"I thought Zak wasn't allowed to do the blogs after you let him do that one?" Nick asked.

"He attempted one," I corrected, "but I gotta admit, that website is a little difficult to use. I'm going to see if I can have something done about it. So overly complicated."

"I hope he got this last entry right," Nick said, still scanning through the Maizy photoshoot shots.

"Yeah, I'm going to check," I said, logging into my laptop.

I opened the blog and laughed when I saw the last entry.

"Oh, he definitely figured out how to use it," I said.

Aaron returned to look over my shoulder to see what I was talking about.

"Ah! That's not as bad as I thought it was going to look. On the plane, he kept asking me how to do word art. He said he wanted his name to be in big shiny letters," he said.

Nick laughed.

"Good thing you didn't tell him," said Nick.

"Hell! I didn't know how!" Aaron said, his voice skipping an octave.

"You can't on this. Thank goodness," I commented.

Zak had went all out, and I'm kind of glad he did. It made up for the missing photos that I knew fans looked forward to seeing. Aaron had told me about all the comments the photos of Dunlap Mansion and a few other gothic style buildings I had received. Victorian buildings and older structures in that style were my favorite types of architecture to photograph. I always put extra love into those.

But Zak had made it all flashy and a tad bit gaudy. Not how I would have written it, but Zak was still a good writer and I felt the entry would be safer in his hands that it would have been in Aaron's. After the title, the first line was "Special Blog Entry by Zak Bagans!" Then, it went on to say: "Dear Reader, what you are about to read is a gift from the one and only."

"He is so stuck on himself," I commented.

"Let me read," Nick said, scooting over.

He didn't get very far before he started laughing.

"That's Zak for ya," he said.

Aaron pointed to the center of the paragraph where Zak described the Theater and the claims that went on there.

"Look. He did a pretty good job. I mean, the tone screams Zak but it's still decent," Aaron commented.

"I still like Mikey's better. We hear Zak talk all the time. Like, I can hear him talk when I read this," Nick said.

"Yeah, Mikey writes funny ones," Aaron said.

"They aren't funny!" I said.

"The one about the plantation in New Orleans was," Aaron said.

"They all have a little bit of humor. I like how you're able to incorporate that without making it all a joke," Nick added.

"What? Nuh-uh! If they are, I'm not doing it on purpose," I said.

I scrolled through several of the passed entries and reread them. I had to laugh at some of them.

"Okay, yeah. Some of this is kind of funny," I said.

"Pfft! Duh!" Aaron said.

"It's 'cause she's been around you too much," Nick said.

Aaron pretended pop his nonexistent collar.

"Well, you know how it is," he said smugly.

Nick and I laughed.

"I've learned from the best," I said.

Aaron walked away to let us work and went to mess with Zak's arcade game he had in the corner of the room.

"Damn straight!" Aaron shouted, making Gracie bark in excitement.

She was so hyper. I had never seen a dog so energetic around people. It put us all in a good mood, and I could see why Zak loved her so much.

"Come on, Mikes. Let's get to work," Nick said, nudging me.

So, we slid the first memory card into Zak's computer and began our analysis. When we analyze photos from lockdowns, it's not really this big scientific production, even though I still feel like a scientist when I say "analysis." It was just your basic staring contest with the computer screen. We always spotted orbs and things, which I was always quick to debunk. Orbs are teases. The orbs that were actual manifestations were things I had never caught on camera like the guys did on video. Actually, I never really caught much of anything. It's a good thing I wasn't hired for that, 'cause I'm sure there would be some stupid quota for taking pictures of paranormal activity. If that had been the case, I would have been fired by now. No, taking ghost pictures is not what I was here for. Mainly, I was there to photoshoot the guys and write the blog, but I was always volunteering to help out.

A few weeks into working with the guys, Billy had asked me if I was interested in helping him with equipment and watching the monitors during lockdown instead of going back to the hotel room after pictures. I told him I would be glad to. I knew my way around hooking electronics up. I was self-taught, but these things came easy for me. Plus, I learned a lot about setting up their equipment from Billy and Jay.

I had this preconceived notion the first night of monitor duty that I would be bored out of my mind. Lockdowns were not as snappy as they were portrayed in the show, and I had a feeling I would crash on Billy. However, after the first few lockdowns and learning about the fascinating world on the other side from Zak, Nick, and Aaron, I quickly developed interest. I had told Billy and Aaron umpteen times that I wished I could join them. Aaron had offered but I had refused. This was their show, not mine. I was fine with the behind the scenes work.

It was only when the boys found themselves overwhelmed with a giant cemetery that they recruited me. Zak had sat me down and asked if he could add a position to my job.

"I'm your slave. Do what you will," I had told him.

Zak was very reluctant in letting me lockdown with them, but they were out of options. He was scared that I would be nervous and possibly frightened by working with spirits.

"You always have to go in with your guard up," he had said to me on numerous occasions.

This was no Halloween ghost hunt for fun, and I understood that. I respected the dead just as anyone should, and I took this just as seriously as the guys.

So, after waiting in the van with Billy at this lockdown, Zak finally came and got me. The grounds were not very active at the time, so Zak chose that time to come get me. I was so excited, especially since the lockdown was outside. I loved being outside-at night or during daylight. He, however, wasn't that excited. We were just going to walk around the perimeter, snap some shots in the shadows, then head back to the van so he could resume being in front of the camera. We were in an open area in the back. Zak had mentioned that the back had been subject to years worth of vandals. Apparently, this was the area where slaves were buried and many graves were left unmarked.

We were walking slowly down the gravel drive. I flashed a shot over where small rocks stood as gravemarkers for the slaves. A tree was in the way, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw something duck and run behind it.

"What the fuck?" I asked.

"What?" Zak asked.

"Where are Aaron and Nick?" I asked, still staring at the tree.

"In the front doing EVPs. Why? Did you see something?" he asked.

Zak fidgeted, and I knew he was getting excited.

"I just fucking saw a fucking person walk behind that fucking tree!" I said, pointing to said tree.

Fuck was my word of choice when I got scared. I rarely use it, but when I do it's excessively and in a situation like this.

Zak pulled a digital recorder out and pressed Record.

"Is there someone out there? Can you come out and speak to us?" Zak asked loud enough for anyone who could be over there to hear.

I heard a loud crunch in the leaves and this strange thud. I could see movement and I bolted into the plot, snapping away.

"There it is!" I shouted.

Zak ran after me, following the rapid flashing of my camera. I hoped I wasn't chasing a bear, as they were also six feet tall and black in these parts. However, I think we would have been attacked by it.

We stopped in the corner, excited and breathing hard.

"Michael, you don't just go running after stuff like that," Zak scolded.

"I'm not scared of this stuff, Zak. I will chase one all over town if I have to," I had told him.

That night, after analyzing the photos I had taken, we found a large mist over a depression in the ground that was unmarked. We captured no EVPs from it, but that night, it was decided that I would lockdown with them from time to time to catch what they didn't catch.

"Michael, what the fuck is that?" Nick asked, pointing to the picture on the screen.

I looked up to see that he was pointed to a black mass in the corner of the picture. The shot was of the rafters above the balcony above where Aaron and I had been sitting.

"Open it in Photoshop," I said.

Just going to say right now, we do not change our pictures. We only adjust color and exposure to get the best out of whatever anomalies we catch.

Nick opened up the picture in question and changed the brightness. We were able to see that it was an oval shape, and was not only black but also brown.

"It's a bat," I said.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked.

I took the mouse from him and zoomed in. It definitely had a head and wings.

"Yeah, that's a bat," I said, "they probably fly in through the hole in the ceiling."

Nick nodded.

"You're probably right. I wonder if they contaminated some of our evidence," Nick said.

"It's possible. Are you guys having the audio checked?" I asked.

Nick nodded.

"Yeah, Billy took some of it in today," he said.

I nodded and closed out of the picture, moving on to the next. A few photos later, we came upon something weird. I had taken a shot of the stage and orchestra pit below our dangling feet, and there was something weird on the stage.

"What the fuck is that, then? That's no bat," Nick said.

"Oh my God, is that mist?" I asked.

"I wanna see!" Aaron called from behind us.

Just as Aaron approached, a roar that sounded like a small jet came from the street and moved closer to the house.

"Zak's back," Aaron announced.

Nick spun around in terror.

"Did you move your car?" Nick asked Aaron.

"Oops," Aaron said.

"He can park in the street," I said, opening the suspicious photo in Photoshop.

"Yeah, but he doesn't like to. I think he's afraid it'll get keyed or something," Aaron said, looking out the window.

I looked over at Aaron, confused.

"This is a nice neighborhood. I don't think he has too much to worry about," I said.

Aaron shrugged.

"This is Vegas. You never know who is out and about," he said.

I nodded in agreement.

"True," I said and turned back around to the computer.

"Michael, that looks like a man. See the arms and the legs? And this is the torso," Nick said, pointing to the body parts with a pen as he listed them.

Down at the edge of the stage were the lights were was this white, misty blob that resembled a man laying down.

"Ooo, I do see that. Do you think that that may be the prop guy?" I asked Nick.

Nick looked excited.

"It seems to be a good possibility," he replied.

"Look how it's positioned," I said, "it almost looks like a chalkline, like the ones you see in cop shows on TV. Except this chalkline is filled in."

"Yeah. It kind of does look like that. It's as if it's a person who fell and face-planted into the stage," Nick agreed.

"Ah! Dude! It does!" Aaron exclaimed.

"We need to show Zak," Nick said excitedly.

"I'll get him," Aaron said, "ZAK!"

I jumped when Aaron called Zak. He could get loud, man! I heard Zak approaching.

"Shower," Zak said as he passed the door, glistening with sweat and wearing nothing but jeans.

My jaw hit the mother-flippin' floor. He looked damn good for a guy in his mid-30s. The gym did wonders for him.

Aaron popped me on the chin. I turned around and slapped him, causing us to get into a slapping fight.

"Stop it!" I snapped.

"Stop staring!" he whispered.

"Stop hitting!" I said.

When I thought Aaron had given up, I turned away and focused my attention on work. I wasn't turned around for two seconds before I felt Aaron smack my shoulder.

"That's it!" I shouted.

Aaron screamed and took off running. I grabbed a pen and threw it at him. I missed, so I ran after him, chasing him around the pool table. Gracie barked at us and chased us. She was faster than me, and tripped Aaron. She got the point of the game.

Nick burst out laughing as Aaron went stumbling into the wall.

"Gracie!" Aaron shouted.

Gracie ducked down and ran over to me. I knelt down and hugged her.

"Good girl. That's good-tripping, Aaron. That's a good girl," I said, scratching her ears.

"That's not a good girl," Aaron grumbled.

I let Gracie go and went over to hug Aaron.

"I'm sorry you're a jerk," I said jokingly.

"And I'm sorry you're a little shit," he said.

I just laughed and went back over to Gracie, rolling a pool ball across the table. Aaron pulled out his phone and turned on his music. Nick got up to stretch from our several hours of sitting and leaned against the pool table. Dubstep blasted shrilly from Aaron's phone and he began to dance around Zak's giant play room.

"I wanna go to a rave, guys!" Aaron shouted.

Gracie barked at him. Nick looked over at me and smiled.

"Let's dance, Michael," he said.

"Hell no," I said.

Nick gave me these big doe eyes.

"Please?" he asked.

"Hell to the no," I said.

"Why not?"

"I can't dance," I replied.

"Everyone can dance, Mikey," Aaron said as he jumped around the room, waving his arms in the air.

"What if we decide to drag you to a club this week?" Nick asked.

"Fat chance! I hate crowds," I said.

"Would you go if Zak went?" Aaron asked suggestively.

I felt my cheeks go red.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Leave her alone, man," Nick said in my defense.

Aaron shrugged and went on dancing. Let me tell you, the boy could really bust a move. Nick leaned over to me and took my hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked, not trusting him.

"Mikey, you are part of the GAC," he began.

"REPRESENTIN'!" Aaron shouted in a deep voice.

"Aaron, shut up!" Nick growled, then turned back to me, his eyebrow raised mischievously, "You're gonna have to learn how to dance some time."

I just shook my head and smiled. Aaron ran over to Zak's computer and pulled up some music on iTunes. Electronic dance music blasted through the massive speakers he had rigged up. Nick backed up to make space between us. He began to swing our arms, cheesing like a little kid. This was so embarrassing!

"Come on, Mikey. Have you never danced with anybody before?" he asked.

"Does jumping and headbanging at a Drowning Pool concert count?" I asked sheepishly.

Nick laughed.

"Come on. Not with a boyfriend or your dad?" he asked.

I frowned at this. Nick kind of knew that I had had it rough with boyfriends, but my dad...

"I try and keep my distance," I said.

"Why's that? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," he said.

Nick let go of one of hands, placing one hand on my waist. I placed my free hand on his shoulder and we stepped from side to side around the room. Yeah, we were, as some would put it, "gettin' down!"

"He's just a dick. I would rather not talk about it," I said.

Nick nodded.

"Fine with me," he said.

Aaron turned the song to something Nick and I found a little bit easier to move to. I smiled when I heard Dean Martin's distinctive voice float out of the speakers.

"What is this, bro? Pandora?" Nick asked Aaron.

I looked to see Aaron nod. There was another reason Aaron and I got along so well. We both had a love for jazz. It was my secret guilty pleasure.

"Michael, loosen up. You get so uptight sometimes," Nick said.

"I am loose," I said, then quickly regretted saying that.

Aaron burst out laughing.

"Shut up!" I barked at him.

Nick laughed.

"You're not this uptight around Zak, I've noticed," Nick mentioned.

I narrowed my eyes at Nick.

"Do you?" Nick whispered.

"Do I what?" I asked.

"Really, Mikes? Don't stand there and pretend you don't have feelings for him, because I can tell," Nick said quietly.

"What is it with you and Aaron?" I hissed.

Nick just smiled. The song that was playing went off and switched over to Frank Sinatra. Nick and I stopped dancing and he pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay if you do," Nick murmured in my ear.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

We heard a door slam from upstairs. Nick pulled back and cupped my cheek, watching me thoughtfully. I so badly wanted to ask "What the fuck are you doing?" but I didn't.

"Don't think about it," he said, then walked away as we heard Zak thump down the stairs.

I turned and stared after Nick as Zak entered the room.

"Get your asses in the car. I'm fucking starving," Zak said, swinging his car keys around on a finger.

Nick turned to Zak.

"Hold on, man. Michael found something that we think may be an apparition. Like, a dead one," he said.

Zak raised an eyebrow.

"Dead one?" he asked.

"Yeah, bro. Mikey, come show him this," Nick said enthusiastically, waving me over.

I walked over to Aaron with my arms crossed over my chest. I leaned against the pool table beside him. I didn't want to be near him or Zak.

"You can show him," I said, not meaning to sound snappy.

Nick raised an eyebrow at me.

"Um...okay," Nick said, then turned back to the computer.

Aaron wrapped an arm around me as I watched Zak lean over to view the photo.

"I'm so confused, Aaron," I whispered.

Aaron laid his cheek upon the top of my head. He said nothing. My eyes were unconsciously glued to Zak, watching his massive shoulder blades move under his tight blue and black striped shirt. Gracie padded up behind him. He blindly reached for her head and petted her gently. I sighed. Besides being such a good looking man, he was a great person. He loved animals, music, and though he came off an a jackass, it was always the crew that came first. He was one of those people who would take a bullet for us. I thought back to what Aunt Patch said about bringing home a nice Vegas boy. What I wouldn't give to bring home Zak.

My heart sunk when I remembered that our three week break was coming up in a few weeks. I would have to fly back home to Arkansas and never see the boys until we got a new lockdown. I didn't know how I would handle that. I didn't have any friends in Arkansas save for Patch. I wouldn't have Aaron to go talk to about stuff. I wouldn't have fun with Nick, and I wouldn't have Zak to go running to when I heard something at night. I could call, but it wasn't the same.

"Wait. Didn't the guy fall in the orchestra pit? If this is him, then why is he on the stage?" Nick asked Zak.

"Maybe he never fell into the pit," Zak said slowly, "maybe it was just overdramatized."

He would know all about overdramatizing things.

"It sounded to me like it could have been a legend," Nick said.

"But that's a damn good shot of an apparition," Zak went on.

I wasn't paying attention until Aaron let go of me. I looked up to see Zak walking over to me. He pulled me into a hug.

"You did it, Mikey," he said, "You caught the prop guy. I'm proud of you."

My heart skipped. There's a sentence no one has ever told me. I hugged him back and tried to fight the urge to cry. It meant more coming from him than anybody-knowing that I was not letting the team down.

Zak leaned back to look at me. He knew I wasn't in good mood, and I felt his concerned eyes on me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Michael, do you not realize that you took one of the best pictures of a ghost I've ever seen since I got into this business?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"Is something bothering you? You wanna talk?" he asked.

I looked down and shook my head. He sighed.

"Alright. Well perk up, sweetheart. I hate seeing you upset," he said.

Zak patted my shoulder before turning away to go retrieve his car keys off of the desk. I stared at him. No one-no man-had cared for me like Zak did. Something shifted within me, and I suddenly wasn't confused anymore. Plus, I couldn't control the school girl flutter within me when he said "sweetheart." What woman would react like that with him around, though?

"Let's go eat!" Aaron said excitedly.

Zak walked over to the door and switched off the lights. I slowly walked with Nick to the door. Zak turned and smiled at me. He wanted to cheer me up. I could see it in his eyes, and I really wanted to for him.

Nick tossed an arm around me.

"Let's go celebrate Mikey's big discovery! Woo!" Nick shouted.

Zak laughed and got on the other side of me, overlapping his arm over my shoulders with Nick's.

"Ah, what? I want in on this!" Aaron cried out as we walked out the door.

"Come hold my hand, darling," Nick said to Aaron.

"Hell no!" Aaron said, "Insulting my manliness."

We all burst out laughing and headed out to the front door.

"That's what family does, Aaron," Nick said cheekily.

I looked around at the boys and began comparing them to family positions. Zak being the loving, bossy mother, Nick the caring and loving dad, and Aaron being the lovable goofy brother. That was something I never had growing up. But the boys were my brothers. Even though I loved one a little bit more than that. I never wanted to go home again.


	10. Bitch

"MICHAEL!" Zak screamed.

"That's the fourth headshot in a row!" Aaron exclaimed.

"I thought you said you've never played shooting games before?" Zak asked.

"Stop screen surfing, Mikey!" Nick complained.

"Hey! I'm just shooting whatever moves," I said defensively.

Aaron laughed.

"Guess we shouldn't take you shooting when we go camping this weekend!" he said.

I moved my guy on the screen behind one of the others and blew their head off.

"Dammit, Nick!" Zak shouted.

"What? That wasn't me!" Nick exclaimed.

"Ha! That was Mikey again, bro," Aaron told Zak.

"MICHAEL!" Zak shrieked.

He threw down his controller and reached around Nick to grab me. I screamed and backed up into Aaron. Aaron yanked me into his lap and I fell back out backwards. Zak crawled over to me and pinned me down. I was giggling like an idiot.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" he asked.

"I can't believe she's kicking your ass, man!" Nick said.

"You've had it. Later, we're watching Babe," he said.

"No!" I screamed, "no pig movies!"

I had made the mistake at lunch of admitting that I was afraid of pigs when Aaron asked if I wanted to try whatever porky food he had ordered. I told him I hardly ate in pork, and I said I was deadly afraid of pigs.

"Aw, what? You won't watch Babe? Annabelle loves that movie. It's so cute," Nick said.

"I'm going to go order it on Netflix after I go make a few calls and get a trailer for this weekend," Zak told me.

"I refuse to watch that damn movie!" I shouted.

"The way things are," Aaron quoted in a high-pitched voice.

"God no!" I groaned, closing my eyes.

"Gotta face your fears, Mikes," Zak said.

"Can't it wait?" I asked.

Zak messed up my hair and laughed. He stood to his feet and left for the kitchen where it was a little bit quieter so he could make a few calls.

"One more round before Nick and I have to get going, Michael?" Aaron asked.

I reached for my controller and returned to my spot between them.

"Bring it," I said.

Xxx

It was late at night when I passed through the kitchen to get a drink. Nick and Aaron had gone home, and I cleaned up the mess of cables and controllers in the living room. I found Zak sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop in front of him and his cell phone stuck to his ear. I assumed he was making reservations for this weekend.

After we had returned from lunch earlier that day, I had left my phone on the table beside some of Zak's work papers that looked like they were from the network. Aunt Patch's nagging words still rang in my ears from yesterday. I still needed to call my mom. God, how I didn't want to.

I opened up the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, then shut the fridge and made my way back around the table. The little black rectangle was sitting face up, staring at me-taunting me. I gripped the back of one of the chairs and stared back at it, trying to think of what the hell I would even say to my mother.

"Alright. Thank-you very much. Okay, we'll be by tomorrow. Thank-you," Zak said, then hung up and slammed his phone down on the table.

He slumped backwards in his chair, looking accomplished.

"We got a camper. Two bedrooms. Billy is bringing his RV so Nick and Aaron are staying in that one," he said.

I nodded.

"Awesome," I said.

Honestly, I was really excited, but I know I didn't sound like it.

"What's wrong, Mikes?" he asked.

I stared down at my phone.

"Nothing. Just debating about whether or not to say hi to my mother," I said.

Zak propped his elbows up on the table, watching me thoughtfully.

"Have you not spoken to her since you got on with us?" he asked.

I sighed.

"Maybe it's been a bit longer," I said meekly.

Zak stood up from his chair and picked my phone up to hand it to me.

"Call her," he said.

He leaned up against the table and crossed his arms over his chest. I sighed and scrolled through my contacts list before clicking on my mother's name.

"God, I hate this woman," I complained.

And you'll soon see why.

"Oh, come on, Mikey," Zak said.

The phone rang and rang, and I was hoping it would just go to voicemail so I wouldn't have to talk to her. However, things don't always bend to my advantage."

"Michael," the woman on the other end said stiffly.

"Hey Mom," I said shyly.

"I was wondering when I would hear from you. Are you well?"

"Yes, mom," I said.

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm also glad to hear that you aren't working for the newspaper anymore! Did you go and get your rear fired? Maybe being around those bars your dear Aunt Patch drags you to had a negative effect on your career."

"Mother! I was not fired! And don't talk about Aunt Patch that way!"

I pulled the phone away as my mom went off an me.

"Are you hearing this bullshit?" I asked Zak.

Have any of you seen Leverage? You know Eliot's face when he gets pissed? Yeah, Zak's wearing that same facial expression.

"Speaker," he whispered.

I pressed the speaker button and my mother's shrill voice blew up from my phone.

"...you even thought about quitting that job! You were lucky enough to even get those connections since you didn't go to college. Dare I even ask where you're working now?"

"You'll be pleased to know that I'm working for the Travel Channel now," I said.

"Doing what?" she barked.

"Photography," I said.

"Are you kidding me? Why would the Travel Channel want you? You're pictures are not good enough for them. From what I've heard, they weren't even good enough for the newspaper. They just kept you because of Aunt Patch's connections."

Zak scoffed and stared at the phone in digust.

"That's not true," I said.

"Please don't tell me your taking pictures of that fat, disgusting man who eats bugs. It better be Anthony Bourdain. Be around someone sophisticated."

And now Zak was pissed. He and I both were fans of Andrew Zimmern.

"I would not work with Bourdain if it was the last job on earth," I spat.

He is a piece of shit.

"How disappointing to hear. Speaking of things you've done to disappoint me, news has circulated that you aren't working, but in fact partying it up in Vegas with a bunch of boys."

That was probably exactly what Aunt Patch told her. She just didn't get that Patch was playing around.

"I'm working, I swear!"

"Bullshit, Michael Tesla," she said.

Zak's eyes widened.

"You're middle name is Tesla? That's so cool!" he whispered.

"Oh my God, Mom! I'm on an all male team. Sue me! They're from Vegas. We're staying here until our next lockdown."

"I'm guessing that means party on the strip," she spat venomously.

"Don't believe me? You wanna talk to my boss? Here's right here!" I threatened.

"Did you say lockdown?" she asked, ignoring me.

"Yes, mother. Finally, you listened to someone."

"THAT'S JUST LIKE YOU, MICHAEL!" she all but bursted mine and Zak's eardrums, "Ghost Hunters?"

"Ghost Adventures," Zak and I both said at the same time.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT IT'S CALLED! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN THAT HALLOWEEN SHIT! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY YOU CAN'T HOLD A JOB! I GUESS YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHY ANDREW GAVE YOU THAT SCAR ON YOUR SIDE! YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE! IF YOU HAD GONE TO CHURCH INSTEAD OF HAVING ME HAVE TO TELL ANDREW LITERALLY BEAT THE HELL OUT OF YOU-"

"What the fuck?" Zak asked.

"You told him to abuse me?" I shrieked.

"Why not, Michael? You abused your soul. Why would it have mattered?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You can stay with your party boys. Get drunk and knocked up. I don't give a shit. You're not my daughter anymore. Never show up at my doorstep again," she said.

I hung up on her.

"Don't worry about it," I said. It wasn't like I didn't live on my own anyways.

I tossed my phone on the table and stormed off to the hallway bathroom. I didn't want Zak to see me cry.

"Michael!" he called after me.

Oh fuck it.

"Mikey!"

I turned back around and ran straight into his arms. He clutched onto my tightly and I screamed out into his shoulder as hot tears poured down my face.

"You s-see? You s-s-see how sh-she treats me? I fu-fucking hate her!" I cried.

Zak held me tightly to him.

"I'm sorry I made you call her," he apologized, "and I can't believe she treated you like that."

I looked up at Zak in the dim light of the unlit hallway.

"What have I done, Zak? I got straight A's though school. I was always there for my friends and family. I was a good kid. What the fuck is her problem? So I don't go to church or wear clothes she thinks are decent?"

If I had to compare my clothing style to anyone, it would be Zak. Except, replace the shiny, ornately decorated t-shirts that people mistake for Ed Hardy with band t-shirts.

"Mikey, I know how you feel. People criticize me for the same shit," he said.

"But you're someone people look up to. I know I do," probably just said too much, "You have no reason to feel like you're useless."

We ended up sitting against the wall in the hall. I didn't remember sitting, but it happened. Zak cradled me and was silent as I cried into his chest.

"You're not useless. You're our sister. You're my friend. Don't forget what a great friend you are and what a great addition you've been for the crew. You're extremely talented and you don't ever, ever, ever have to worry about anyone hurting you ever again."

I looked up at Zak, who was looking down at me. I was suddenly reminded of my zombie dream.

"They'll have to answer to me," he said, authoritative power hinting in his voice.

I put my arms around his neck, holding my hands together above his back tattoo.

"Thank you," I whispered.

We sat there for a good hour. Still crying, I didn't want to let go, but I eventually had to.

"And we don't have to watch Babe," he said, trying to create a better mood.

I laughed.

"I lied to you about that movie," I admitted.

Zak raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Oh really?" he asked.

"I fucking love that movie," I said.

Zak laughed and helped me back up.

"Let's go order it and make some popcorn," he said.

I walked with him back out into the kitchen. I couldn't help but think how pissed my parents would be if I brought Zak home.

I grabbed my phone off of the table and looked up at Zak with a smile. I didn't know what it was. Like him. Adore him. Fucking love him? Yeah, that sounded correct. I fucking loved this man, and I decided I would do anything for him if it was asked of me. My life was starting to take a new direction with paranormal investigation, and it made me unconditionally happy.

I quickly texted Aaron.

"[i]You were right. Both you and Nick were absolutely right[/i]," I texted.

I didn't have to wait long.

"[i]Michael, good things are about to happen now. Don't turn your back now. That dark soul you're staying with has a light side that's all for you. You just have to be patient[/i]," Nick texted, to my surprise.

"[i]How do you know?[/i]" I asked.

"[i]Our little one is growing up. Love ya, short one. That marriage odor is getting stronger[/i]," Aaron replied.

"[i]Love you too, bro. And shush![/i]" I replied to Aaron.

"[i]Call me the Great Groff[/i]," Nick replied.

I replied an "lol" to Nick and said goodnight to both men before going to help Zak pop popcorn. I had this replenished happiness and something else I hadn't felt since I was a little kid: hope.

Xxx

"You're kidding me, man!" Nick exclaimed on the phone.

"Why would I kid about something like that?" Zak asked quietly.

Ferdinand the Duck was talking to Babe in the little dog house. Michael was already out on the couch with Gracie laying across her feet. Zak wanted to finish the movie, but he couldn't stop watching her as he spoke to Nick.

"Dude, I believe you. Earlier she mentioned something about her dad being a dick. I didn't push her, but damn. I can't believe her mother did that," he said.

"It sickens me to the core," Zak commented.

"I can't believe through all that she can still remain collected," Nick said.

"She's a strong girl," Zak said.

"Tough as nails!" he heard Aaron shout.

He wondered if Nick had the phone on speakerphone, or if his phone was just that loud.

"Makes a damn good ghost hunter," Nick went on.

"Dude, I know. We scored when we hired her," Zak said.

Nick laughed.

"Damn right," he said.

Zak looked over to see Michael's dark brown hair move in front of her face. He had to keep himself from getting up and brushing it away.

"Nick?" Zak asked.

"Yeah, bro?"

Zak couldn't make words come out-or at least, not the ones he wanted to say.

"I...all I want to do is protect her and...make her laugh...and-"

"Zak, bro. You've got it bad," Nick laughed.

"I know," Zak sighed.

"Why her, thought? I thought you liked girls with tans and blonde hair and all that?"

"Because," Zak said, looking at Michael, "when I look at her, I see this connection. I see me."

"You're stuck on yourself," Nick said jokingly.

"Shut up," Zak grumbled.

"Are you going to tell her?" Nick asked.

Zak was hesitant. This wasn't a girl he met on the strip that wanted nothing but sex. This was a girl who held high respect and admiration for him. Michael saw him as one of her heroes, and that made the biggest difference.

"When the time comes," Zak replied.

"When will that time be?" Nick pressed on.

"Patience, bro," Zak said.

Nick laughed.

"Well, I'll let you go, bro. Get some sleep," Nick said.

Little did Nick know, Zak would be staying up for another several hours, deep in thoughts that made him even happier than the day he brought Gracie home.


	11. Be Prepared

8:30 A.M.

Zak walked down the upstairs hallway, thoroughly confused. Gracie walked worriedly alongside him. He walked down the the stairs and turned around. Being a Sensitive, Zak could feel the presence of spirits that lurked around him. He had not noticed until after his morning shower that he could no longer feel them. They were gone. Whether they were gone for good or gone for now was uncertain, but Zak had a feeling it had something to do with Michael's being there. He just had to figure out what it was.

"Come on, Gracie," he said to his dog, "Let's go feed you."

Gracie got excited and ran straight down the stairs, her claws clacking across the floor as she ran to the kitchen.  
Zak turned around once more and concentrated. There was nothing.

Xxx

"_If I had words to make a day for you! I'd sing you a morning golden and new!_" blasted from the TV.

I peeled my eyes open to see the credits to Babe rolling on the TV.

"Zak!" I grumbled.

I rolled over on the couch and yanked my blanket up to my chin. I wasn't ready to get up yet. I heard Zak come in and about had the breath knocked out of me (more by shock than actually being smashed) when Zak plopped down on top of me.

"Get off!" I groaned.

"Time to get up, Mikes," he said, shaking me by the shoulder.

"No!" I complained.

"Michael, come on. We gotta go pick up that trailer and I need someone to help me hook it up. Now come on," he said.

I sat up, grabbing onto Zak's shirt as I did so, since he was sitting on my legs. I opened my eyes and stared blankly at the TV.

"Damn. I missed the whole movie," I said groggily.

Zak laughed.

"Yeah, you conked out before things got good," he said.

I just shrugged.

"Oh well," I said.

Zak smiled and playfully punched my shoulder.

"Come on. Go get dressed and we can pick up some Starbucks," he said.

With that, I was running up the stairs, Gracie chasing after me.

Xxx

10:15 A.M.

It was Tuesday. This Saturday is Halloween. It didn't feel like Autumn at all here, and it made me a little sad. The temperature was cool for today. I think my phone said it would be around 75 degrees, but it still didn't feel right for October. I had looked to see what the weather was like at home, and the temperature was the same, but it was cloudy there. Here, there wasn't a cloud in sight and the sun shone brightly. Perfect weather to go pick up the trailer, and I shouldn't complain. Zak was loving it. He wasn't used to the cold and he hated it when it was scorching hot. Again, I shouldn't complain, but I am.  
I didn't like Las Vegas. The grass was made of cement and the only trees I saw were palm trees. The surrounding land was sand and rocks. The town was all the Las Vegas goodness anyone could ask for, and the mountains helped for my need for a natural visual aesthetic, but it just wasn't the Ozarks and certainly not central Oklahoma. I'm a country kid with city tastes, but when everything comes down to it, I would rather be in a small farm house surrounded by hills and trees than this. However, I would much rather stay in Vegas if it meant being with the boys forever and my parents never.  
Zak was lost in the music I had playing. He had this serene look on his face. I couldn't see his eyes for his sunglasses, but I knew they matched his expression. He had let me play my iPod in the truck, since we weren't able to get any stinkin' Starbucks because the line was ridiculously long. I had told Zak that I would settle for a McDonald's Frappe, it was no big deal. However, we were already on the highway out and there was no where to turn around. So, to make it up to me, he let me listen to whatever I wanted. It was a good thing we had similar tastes in music, because I had some pretty crazy stuff.  
My mind wandered back to Arkansas as I stared out at the wall enclosing the highway. I was glad it was there, because I didn't want to see the desert. I wanted to see trees. Oak, pine, maple, whatever else. I was missing out on the fall foliage. I was staring at a cement wall instead of the oranges, red, browns, and yellows that spackled the hills of Arkansas. I wanted to take Zak and the boys there. We could take a trip to Eureka Springs. It was gorgeous there this time of year. I wanted to share it with them. This whole super sunny, desert crap was getting on my nerves. I wouldn't even mind if it was flat and grassy here, but it wasn't. Nevada was not for me, that's for sure.  
I looked over at Zak, who was lightly bobbing his head and tapping on the steering wheel. I wanted to lean over and lay my head on his shoulder. I wanted him to wrap his heavy arm around me. I wanted this ride to be a scene from a country chick flick, for some fucked up reason or another.  
To get my mind off of him, I pulled out my phone and texted Aaron. I was bored out of my mind, and Aaron always knew how to amuse me.

Xxx

6:00 P.M.

I stood out in the middle of the road and looked at the ginormous camper taking up the complete length of Zak's yard. We couldn't fit both the truck and the trailer into the driveway, and we certainly couldn't park it in the yard. Zak had nothing much in the backyard but a patio, so we were forced to park it and the truck in the street. No one could pull in or out of the driveway, which posed a problem.  
Zak had ran into the house to get something. When he came back out, he screamed.

"Holy shit, that things huge!" he shouted.

"That's what she said!" I laughed.

Zak came around the back of the trailer and out into the street.

"Who is 'she' anyways?" Zak asked.

I just laughed.

"We can't leave this thing here. It's going to piss the whole street off," Zak said.

"Where are we going to put it until Friday?" I asked.

"We _could_ leave it at my mom's and bring the truck back, but she's already having to dog-sit Gracie again," Zak said.

I crossed my arms. The idea of meeting Zak's mother made me terribly nervous, so I quickly tried to think of somewhere else to put the trailer.

"What about Billy's?" I asked.

Zak crossed his arms and looked over at me.

"I mean, if he has room for an RV, would he have room for this?" I asked.

Zak nodded and scratched his head.

"Yeah, we could do that," he said.

I watched him. I saw this mischievous glint in his eyes as he scanned the trailer.

"Or we could do this," Zak said.

He jogged over to the truck bed and pulled out what looked to me like a giant trailer hitch lock. Upon closer inspection, that's exactly what it was.

"We could take it to Aaron's, leave it on the lawn, lock it and take the keys. Get their asses back for freezing my damn pillows," Zak said.

I smirked at him.

"That sounds like a plan. I like the way you think, Mr. Bagans," I said, trying to sound as devious as he was.

Zak looked at me and I almost choked. He had this outrageously smoldering look in his eyes and this, in the only way I can describe it, sexy smirk. It was a wonder I didn't jump his bones. All morals would be out the window on this one.

"We can take it Thursday night so it won't have to be in their hands long. I have a busy day planned for us tomorrow, so we won't have time," Zak said.

I heard his phone buzz in his pocket and he quickly reached down to fish it out.

"The whole day, huh?" I asked, following him out of the street and back around the trailer.

"Yeah. This is your first time in Vegas, right?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at me while blindly texting away.

"Yeah," I replied.

We stopped in front of the trailer's door.

"'Kay, well, I thought I'd show you around-let you some of the famous landmarks and stuff. We also have to go pick up some groceries and stuff for this weekend," he explained.

I nodded.

"Besides," he continued, "we got paid. We can go shopping tomorrow."

"Oh hell yes!" I said excitedly.

Zak smiled and turned to look at the trailer.

"You wanna go in? Check out our crib?" he asked, hand already on the door handle.

I shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?

Zak put the keys in the lock and unlocked the door.

"Careful. I don't have the steps down," he said as I grabbed the handle and pulled myself into the trailer.

Zak held one hand on the small of my back so I wouldn't lose my balance. My skin prickled at his touch. Okay, yes, it's not like I've never come into physical contact with him, but there was something about that spot that gave me goosebumps and burning cheeks.  
I walked in and shook it off so he wouldn't notice as he entered the trailer. We were in the kitchen/lounge area. In front of me was a wood paneled refrigerator and freezer that was camper sized, but still large enough for a weekend's worth of food. The floor was linoleum that looked like really nice gray and brown tile. It was kind of cheap looking, but that's a trailer for you. Beside the fridge was a table that could seat four, even though it was really cramped when you're sitting with the boys. I doubted we would be sitting at it much. It would probably be a place to dump our electronics, as was the role of any surface in any hotel we stayed in.  
Beside the door was an angled, full sized sink, counter, and small black stove with an oven. Again, with a campfire, I doubted we'd use it, but it was nice to have. Above the stove was a microwave and small cabinets with shelves. There was also space under the sink to store tools or anything we might need. Lysol, toilet paper. Whatever. Beside the stove was the wooden built in entertainment center with cabinet space surrounding it, a space for a small flatscreen, built in DVD player and radio system that looked to me like it had a jack for iPod connection. Zak would go nuts over that.

"Look up here," Zak said, pointing to the ceiling.

I looked up to see little white built in speakers in the ceiling.

"There's some in here, some in both bedrooms, and some outside so we can listen to the radio while making s'mores or something," he said.

"That's neat. That could come in handy," I commented.

Zak nodded.

"I have a TV in the garage somewhere. It should be small enough to fit in this. I could hook it up to this mount really quick," he went on, grabbing the pivoting mount in the TV space and examining it.

"How long are we really going to spend watching TV?" I asked.

I was all for bringing cameras and music and even the laptops camping, but TV? We were supposed to be outside.

"If the weather turns bad, this will give us something to do. It's not supposed to rain, but you never know," he said.

"True," I said.

On the back wall to the right of the entertainment center was a door, and next to it a pull out couch and more cabinet space above and beside the couch. Next to the couch on the wall facing the street were two minimalist style recliners sitting strapped down by the table.

"This was a lot bigger when we were at the rental place," I said, looking up at this hatch that had a fan in it incase we didn't feel like turning the air conditioner on.

"The guy had the slides out. The entertainment center slides out, the table and recliner slides out," Zak said, pointing to the areas, "and both beds slide out."

Zak opened the door by the couch to a room with a queen bed, a small dresser, and closets on the farthest wall. There was a window and cabinet space above the bed, and a window over the dresser.

"Do you want this room or the other one? The other has a bathroom in it," he asked.

"I want the one with the bathroom," I said.

I'm a girl. I get up at least once to pee during the night and I didn't want to have to sneak into Zak's room to go.  
Zak laughed. We walked over through lounge and kitchen and opened a sliding wood door. It opened open to a bedroom with another stubby queen bed with the same cabinets, windows, dresser, and closets, but in the corner was a stand up shower with frosted glass, and in the other, a tiny sink with a medicine cabinet above it.

"Oh yes. This is definitely my room," I said, walking over to run my hands over the plastic sink.

There was one problem, however.  
"Look at this shit," I said to Zak.

I stand at about five foot four-ish, and the mirror on the medicine cabinet was totally made for tall people. I couldn't even see the top of my head.

"What?"

"I can't see!" I said, my voice making a squeak as I did so.

Zak looked at himself through the mirror and laughed.

"Michael, you have full mirrors on the closet doors," he pointed out.

I looked over at the closet and sighed.

"I know," I said.

I was just too lazy to plug the flat iron in on one wall and drag it over to the closet. However, I knew it wouldn't be a problem. The room was pretty small.

"This could be a problem," Zak said.

I turned to see him walk into the little room where the toilet was. When you walk in this bedroom, your shower is on the left and a door is on the right. Inside it was this tiny cubicle with a toilet, a cabinet above it, and a skylight that opened up to let in fresh air.

"How am I supposed to take a piss in this?" he asked.

Zak, as far as guys go, is not that tall. Just six feet. It was his bulky shoulders and bubble butt that made things difficult. He barely had a spot to put his feet as he stood facing the toilet as if he were going to use it.  
I held open the door and laughed at him.

"Nevermind taking a shit," I added.

Zak laughed.

"We may be using the bathroom in Billy's RV," he said as he came out and shut the door.

"How far am I going to have to walk to get into the RV?" I asked, "what if I have to pee after the horror trail?"

Zak laughed.

"Mikes, your bowels will be completely voided after that trail," he said.

I rolled my eyes as Zak giggled like an idiot.

"You would like to see me get scared and shit myself," I said as I followed him out of the trailer.  
"It would be kind of funny," he admitted.

I hopped out onto the lawn after him.

"Zak, I'm not Aaron," I said.

Zak burst out laughing.

"Yeah, you're right. It may be him running to the toilet. But in any case, our campsites are right beside each other, so we don't have much to worry about," Zak said.

I nodded. Zak shut the door and relocked the trailer.

"That's good," I said.

"Let's go in. I'm starving," Zak said.

He began to stalk across the yard. I had to almost jog to catch up with him.

"You're always starving," I said.

Zak laughed and gave me this boyish smile.

"I know," he said.

Xxx

Wednesday-11:00 A.M.

Materialism is terrible, this is true. I hate people like that. Those who must have the top brand clothing and electronics. But dammit, it was fun! Part of it was Zak's fault, and part of it was having this shit-ton of cash in my bank account.  
When you work for the Travel Channel and you travel for a show like we do, most of your money goes to food, gas, plane tickets, and other essentials. But Travel Channel pays for all of that. I didn't pay for anything on the road except paying my bills at home over the phone or online. So, I had a good near four month build up that I had yet to use.  
I had no intentions of blowing it on this shopping spree, but I did splurge a little bit, buying a few new tops, jeans, thick socks to keep my toes warm, a new jacket, gloves, and these really awesome looking TOMS boots. They were for guys, but I bought them anyway. Preppy? Yes. But they worked. I also bought a pair of backup earbuds just in case. Zak talked me into trying out Beats. He had some and swore by them. I loved my little $20 in-ears, but I decided I'd try them. If I didn't like them, one of the boys would buy them off of me in a heartbeat.  
Zak was one of those people who had a taste for high-dollar things, and by now, it had kind of rubbed off on me. I should feel bad, but it was too much fun. I had never had cash like this before.

"I want them!" Zak said, pointing to a pair of shoes at some skateboarding store.

"Zak, you own more shoes than I do. You don't need them," I said.

Zak groaned and then looked at me.

"I guess you're right, Mikes. We need to save some money from groceries and stuff," he said.

I smiled up at him with this whole "I told you so" facade. Zak cracked a grin and threw his arm around me. I laughed and tried to pull away from him.

"What would I do without you?" he asked.

I knew better than to take that too seriously, but my mind did.

"You would be trying to break in a pair of $400 shoes," I replied.

Zak wrapped both of his arms around me and squeezed the crap out me. I was enjoying this too much. However, it was rare Zak was in a playful mood. So I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Xxx

7:30 P.M.

"My arms!" I complained, loading the last of the Halloween decorations in the trailer.

"Oh, stop complaining," Zak said, "you're building up muscle."

Typical.

"I feel like I got hit by a bus," I said, flopping down on the couch with a pair of pumpkins we bought to carve.

That was the part I was most excited about. I hadn't carved a pumpkin since I was in 2nd grade.

"We got everything we needed," Zak said, hands on his hips as he stood in the middle of the lounge.

He looked pleased with himself.

"We got too much," I groaned.

Zak laughed.

"We didn't get everything. Aaron is bringing all the food and stuff," he said.

Zak moved across the room and placed a guitar case behind one of the secured recliners.

"What do you need that for?" I asked.

Zak looked at me weird.

"In case I want to put on a concert for the campground," he said sarcastically.

I rolled me eyes.

"Come on, Mikes. Let's go eat dinner before we dump this thing off at Aaron's," Zak said.

"Yes!" I said.

I jumped out the door and ran to the front porch. Zak was behind me laughing.

"Shut up! I'm starving!" I called to him.

I was excited. To my surprise (and I don't know why I was surprised), Zak was a pretty good cook.

Xxx

2:00 A.M.

"What is this? A 'Zak's Vlog'?" I asked.

Zak handed me his camera.

"Nah. It's just for Twitter. It's recording, by the way," he said.

"Dammit!" I hissed, then turned the camera to me, "Hey guys! This is Michael from the Ghost Adventures Crew. I'm out here with Zak," I pointed the camera to Zak.

He waved, trying to be all cool and shit.

"And we're getting back at Aaron and Nick for freezing Zak's pillows. I know I was a part of it but I was let off the hook. So, we're out in front of Aaron's house. I can't show you guys, but we're going camping this weekend and we decided to park the trailer in Aaron's yard."

"Yeah, it's like two in the morning or something," Zak added.

"I'm sure Aaron is wide awake right now so we have to do this quickly and quietly," I said.

"Turn the headlights off," Zak said.

I turned the headlights off and faced the camera back to me.

"Zak made me drive so he can run out and lock the trailer and get back in quickly in case we need to make a run for it."

"She's better at driving with a trailer than I am," Zak said.

He sounded so sleepy. I had woken him up at one in the morning so we could make sure the trailer was ready and head to Aaron's. He was adorable when he was tired.  
I pointed to myself.

"Expert truck driver here," I said.

"Are you ready?" Zak asked.

"Dude! So ready!" I said.

I handed the camera back to Zak.

"Here we go!" I whispered to the camera and put the truck in gear.

The truck growled when I put it into Drive.

"Zak, this truck is loud. We're going to get caught," I said.

"Just hurry, Mikes. Swing out a bit more," Zak said.

I did as I was told and pulled into the driveway beside Aaron's little SUV.

"Hey Zak?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"Even if we weren't locking this up, Aaron couldn't get it off of his lawn. That little thing wouldn't pull this," I said.

Zak laughed.

"That's what's so awesome," he said.

I laughed and pulled out onto the lawn. It was a good thing Aaron had a big yard and a little bit of space between him and his neighbors.

"He's gonna kill us," I said.

I pulled across the lawn and stopped before the curb. It was a good thing Zak's truck was high off the ground so I could jump it.

"You're going to have to put those pump things down and put the blocks in the tires," I reminded Zak.

Zak nodded as he picked the lock out of the floorboard and unbuckled.

"I know. Good thing it's all motorized," he said, "Do you see Aaron or Nick?"

I looked in the rearview mirror. Zak couldn't see for the trailer.

"Coast is clear. Go!" I said.

Zak threw open the door.

"When I tap on the truck, pull forward," he said.

I nodded.

"Can do," I replied.

I watched Zak duck down behind the truck bed and then rush over to the trailer. It didn't take him long before I heard a bang against the side of the truck. I put the truck in gear and moved about two feet away from the trailer. I could see that Zak had one of the compartments open and was running with the tire blocks. I kept an eye on Aaron's front door. There was no light coming from inside, but I'm sure him and Nick were doing something in a different room.  
Before too long, Zak was jumping back in and shutting the door.

"Did you get it?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's go," he said breathlessly.

I put the truck in drive and jumped the curb and pulled back out into the street. Zak looked over his shoulder. The trailer remained stationary.

"Good," he said, "it's not rolling away. Let me see the camera, Mikey."

I handed his camera back. He turned and pointed it to the trailer, then back to himself.

"And that's how you park a camper trailer on someone's lawn," he said, then stopped recording.

"I'm surprised he didn't hear us," I said.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be hearing from him soon. I stuck a piece of paper to the door that said 'You've been Zak'd'," he said.

I just shook my head. He was so goofy.

At six in the morning, Aaron called. Needless to say, he was pissed.


	12. Shenanigans at Zak's 2- Pumpkin Guts

The eight hour drive to the resort was so worth it. The park was gorgeous. It was nestled in a valley where we got absolutely no cell phone service. Aaron was the first to complain about not being able to Tweet. When Billy found out, he flipped his lid. That wasn't the worst of our problems. The biggest issue seemed to be getting the trailer balanced and hot water to come through. Billy was claiming he had absolutely no problems getting hooked up. He, Nick, and Aaron had gotten there about 45 minutes before Zak and I had. This was probably because Zak was such a girl and had way too much to pack. We were only staying two nights!  
It also didn't help that Zak was beginning to stress out over the stupid camper, which made me begin to get pissy.

"Is it level?" Zak yelled to me from the trailer's front.

Aaron and I were standing inside it by the door, waiting to get it level so Aaron could take a ride in one of the slides.

"Front's a little high!" Aaron called.

"Goddammit!" Zak shouted.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew the whole damn resort could hear that.

"Zak, stop," Nick said, "There's little kids here."

"Shit!" I heard Zak hiss.

Aaron snorted.

"Ain't he sweet?" he asked sarcastically.

Once we got the entire trailer balanced, hooked up the water, electricity, and gas, we bled the water and gas lines and had a hell of a time with the hot water.

"Zak, this isn't that hard," Billy said as he climbed into the trailer.

"No, it shouldn't be that fucking hard but it is. What the fuck?" Zak shouted.

They were in what was to be my room, bleeding the line in the shower and trying to get hot water.

"I cannot stand cold water!" he growled.

I squeezed in between Nick and Billy and slipped around the open shower door.

"Well, Zak, if we absolutely cannot get hot water, there's public showers in the front of the park. From the outside, they look pretty nice for campground showers," I said.

But there is no reasoning with Zak when he's pissed.

"Yuck," Aaron said.

"Bro, I have hot water in the RV. You can come over and shower. No problem," Billy said.

Zak pulled down the handle in the shower and almost got sprayed by cold water.

"I know, but dammit, I don't want to do that! And Mikey, I'm not fucking getting in shower fucking showers!" Zak snapped.

I huffed and narrowed my eyes at him. I was tempted to throw a pillow at him...or even better, put a boot in his ass. He never had an attitude like that around me, and if there was one thing I didn't take from men, it was their smart-ass mouths.  
I jumped to my feet and pushed Zak out of the shower. Either he was too enraged to think clearly, or maybe he was just that stupid, but either way, he wasn't turning the right knob. I pulled the shower head that was attached to a hose out of it's cradle and pointed it to the floor. Then, I turned the other knob. The water gurgled and burped, shooting out the last of the air before water came spraying out. Within seconds, steam could be seen billowing out of the shower head. I turned and gave Zak a glare. His shoulders dropped and he looked like a dog that had just gotten yelled at.

"Is there anything else you would like to throw a fit over?" I asked.

Zak just shook his head. The others were snickering. I was still glaring at him as I shut of the shower. I turned away only to replace the shower head. I climbed out of the shower, shut the frosted glass door, then turned and crossed my arms over my chest, giving Zak my best death glare. He wouldn't even look at me. Billy, Aaron, and Nick left, leaving me alone with Zak.

"I'm going to go give Aaron a ride on the slides now. Why don't you go cool off outside? Let me do the rest. You've done the hard parts," I said.

Zak scratched the back of his neck and shuffled over to the bed, sitting down and heavily and resting his elbows on his legs.

"Michael, you don't have to do that. I'm sorry. I just wanted everything to be working perfectly so it wouldn't ruin the whole weekend," he said.

"Zak, if something goes wrong, we'll find another way around it. I never give up," I said.

Zak's eyes rolled up to look at me. He gave me a small smile.

"I know you don't," he said quietly.

I stepped closer to him, anger beginning to fade.

"I mean, you're talking to the queen of ghetto rigging," I said with a laugh, trying to cheer him up.

Zak smiled more.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I never do that to girls-to anyone! I'm not like that. I just-I'm sorry. That was shitty of me. You have full permission to just beat the living shit out of if I ever fly off the handle like that again," he said.

I smiled.

"I feel like a complete asshole for being a dick to you," he said.

I walked up to him and leaned over to hug him before he could piss and moan some more.

"Stop it. I forgive you," I said.

It was against my own personal set of rules to forgive a guy so easily. But Zak didn't call me a name and he had every reason to be agitated. Plus, I knew Zak. I knew he wasn't like that.

"You didn't deserve that," he murmured into my shoulder.

"Zak, it's okay," I said.

As long as he didn't do it again when he had no reason to, I was cool. I've been known to have temper tantrums too. Zak pulled away.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I sighed loudly.

"Yes, Zak. Now come on," I said, grabbing him by the arms and pulling, making him stand up.

"Let's go get a fire started before it gets dark," I said.

Xxx

What's on TV on Friday nights? Ghost Adventures. Heck yes! After a dinner of Doritos and hot dogs, Nick and Billy disappeared into the RV. Nick was going to call his wife and Billy had some work to do on the computer. Work never ends for us, I guess. Zak wouldn't watch Ghost Adventures with me. Not this time, anyways. Aaron gladly watched the episode of the Maizy Theatre with me. Zak went ahead and got his precious shower and went off to bed around eleven, leaving Aaron and I to our own devices.  
Okay, we usually were pretty well behaved on our own. Plus, Aaron's sleeping schedule got thrown off, so he was about ready for bed before Ghost Adventures went off. I made him stay up, though. We ended up watching Adult Swim, and before I knew it, I had passed out. I only awoke to this weird groaning sound.

"What the fuck?" I asked out loud.

I looked around to see we had left one light on. The kitchen area and my bedroom were dark. Aaron was passed out on his stomach, snoring softly into the cushions. I leaned back and sighed. Maybe it was just Aaron's snoring I heard.  
So, not feeling like getting up or waking Aaron so he would have to walk out into the cold, I rolled over in the recliner and was just about to close my eyes when the trailer jerked and there was this weird cry coming from Zak's bedroom. I looked over at his door. It was shut and I was sure it was locked. I climbed out of the recliner and padded over to his door to listen. I could hear movement and then another soft groan. For a fleeting moment, I thought I may be listening in on something I should not be hearing, but when he screamed out in pain, I knew it was something else.  
I leaned over and shook Aaron's leg.

"Aaron!" I hissed.

Aaron blubbered and sniffed.

"Aaron, wake up!" I whispered.

Something was not right, I could feel it. Aaron grunted loudly and turned over. He had fallen asleep in his clothes, and the hood of his hoodie had fallen over his head and in his eyes.

"What, Michael?" he asked, sounding a little irritated.

"Come listen to this," I whispered.

Aaron groaned and pushed himself up.

"Is he in there farting?" he asked jokingly.

I shook my head and listened carefully when the noise died down.

"No. At first I thought he may be doing _something_, but this sounds way different," I said.

Aaron laughed and leaned against the door, pressing his ear against the fake wood. A high-pitched squeak of pain came from the other side and then the trailer jerked again and Zak cried out as if he had been shot.

"You do know he has night terrors, right?" Aaron asked me, "or, at least he used to."

"He would scream like this?" I asked, turning to look at Aaron.

He shrugged.

"He would thrash around and wake himself up. I've had to stay on the phone with him for several hours at a time until he fell asleep or got drunk," Aaron said.

I sighed, then cringed when Zak screamed again. I felt so bad for him.

"He's a tough mother-mhmhmm. I wouldn't be able to handle that. Especially without someone around. Michael, go in there and wake him up. I know he would rather see you than anyone," he said.

I wasn't hesitant as I pulled down the door handle. The door was unlocked.

"Come in here with me, Aaron," I said.

Aaron nodded and followed me in. The light from outside shown through the window above the dresser, illuminating the man curled up in the fetal position with his back to us.

"Don't take-" Zak couldn't finish his sleep talking, "NO!"

Aaron nudged me, making move to bed. Something came over me, making me go ahead and jump into the bed. If this had been any other person, I would sneak over to the bed and tap their shoulder and then jump away in fear. But something came over me telling me to fix him. Zak must be fixed.  
I crawled over to him and grabbed his shoulder. He had no shirt on, but his skin was absolutely soaked. I pulled him onto his back. He was hissing through his teeth as if he were having some sort of Charlie Horse. At least, that's what it reminded me of.

"Zak," I said softly.

Zak cried out again. Tears spilled down his face and my heart broke. Aaron stood at the foot of the bed.

"You don't think this is something paranormal?" I whispered to Aaron.

Should I even be touching Zak? Aaron shook his head.

"Just a nightmare. Mikey, wake him," Aaron said.

I turned back to Zak, fearing he would thrash and hit me. He was much more calm on his back, though. I took his face in my hands. His skin was freezing, even though he was coated in sweat.

"Zak, wake up. Zak, it's me. It's Michael. Please wake up," I said.

I shook him, and he gasped loudly like a person who had been given mouth-to-mouth after a near drowning. His eyes flew open and he looked to me.

"It was just a nightmare, Zak. You're safe. You're here with me and Aaron," I said softly.

He looked absolutely terrified.

"Oh, Michael," he said.

Zak shot straight up and threw both arms around me. I didn't care that he was sweaty and gross, I held him as tightly as I could.

"Bro, are you alright?" Aaron asked.

Zak's breathing was uneven, and when I felt hot liquid spill against the crook of my neck, I knew he was bawling his eyes out over whatever his mind had made up for him.

"What happened?" I whispered.

I stroked my fingers through his wet hair and ran my hand over his spine and back up.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he said.

"That's fine," I said.

"I don't wanna sleep," he said.

I pulled away from him and cupped his face in my hands, making him look at me.

"You don't have to. You wanna get a shower really quick and watch TV? I can fix up something to drink," I suggested.

Zak would not let go of me as he wiped his face.

"Sweet tea?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I can go start it," Aaron said.

"Aaron, I can handle it if you want to go over to Billy's," I said.

"No, I want to stay," he said.

I shrugged. Zak laid his heavy head down on my shoulder. I turned and hugged him again. I felt so bad for him. He was never like this. You know bad shit went down if Zak Bagans needs someone. Everyone needs someone, I suppose. It's human instinct.

"Okay, you can start it. Zak, do you want something to eat or something?" I asked.

We had made a load of cookies before leaving and I knew eating those made _me_ feel better. I mean, it wasn't ice cream but it was close.  
Zak shook his head.

"No, just leave all the lights on when I come out," he said as he got up.

Aaron and I watched in silence as he grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms out of his suitcase and walked out of his bedroom.  
Aaron seemed calm, but I couldn't help but think this was all due to the spirits that haunted him.  
When Zak was out of the shower, we had the pull out pulled out and all of the extra blankets and pillows piled on top of it. Aaron gave Zak his tea as he passed through. I was sitting cross-legged on the recliner I had fallen asleep on when Zak climbed into the bed.

"Feel better?" I asked.

Zak took a sip of his drink and nodded. He looked a lot better.

"Want some cookies, bro?" Aaron asked, holding up a giant Ziploc bag full of Snickerdoodles.

Zak just shrugged.

"Sure," he said.

Aaron dug around in the cabinets for paper plates and poured out five cookies for each of us. I got up and grabbed Zak's plate and handed it to him. He thanked me and sat his tea down on the little built-in end table between the couch and the wall.  
We stayed up for a few hours watching stupid cartoons like American Dad and Robot Chicken. I maneuvered myself into the bed and curled up between the boys. Zak laid his head on my stomach. I had my head propped up against Aaron's shoulder. It was like a weird version of Twister. Aaron was the first to fall asleep. Zak's night terror was still bothering me.

"Do you have nightmares often?" I asked him.

Zak took a deep breath.

"No. Ever since I got rid of my attachment, I haven't. That was your normal old nightmare," he said.

"It sounded scary," I mentioned.

"I'm sorry. That's never happened before," he said.

"What happened?" I asked.

I know he had said he didn't want to talk about it, but I knew that talking made it better.

"I had a dream I got into a fist fight," he said.

I almost laughed, but I didn't.

"Who did you pound this shit out of this time?" I asked.

Zak looked up at me, a sleepy smile on his face.

"People who were trying to take something away from me," he said.

"Oh God! Not your iPod!" I exclaimed.

Zak laughed. He giggled and poked me in the side. I yelped and sat straight up. His head slid into my lap.

"It wasn't my iPod. It wasn't a personal possession," he said.

I didn't say anything as I looked down at him.

"It was...okay, remember the other night? You know..." he said.

I nodded.

"I guess I have an overactive imagination," he went on.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I had a dream I couldn't keep my promise...and they got to you," he said, whispering at the end.

I bent over and hugged him, which was basically just crossing my arms over his chest and pressing my forehead against his.  
"It was just a dream, Zak. I promise you, I'm not going back to Oklahoma. Besides, they want nothing to do with me," I said.

"I know," Zak whispered.

If I could, I would stay with Zak for as long as possible.

Xxx

"Aaron's Vlog," Aaron said into his camera.

"Aaron, shut up," Zak said, moving Aaron's arm out of the way of the camera so he could get in the shot.

"These are the best ribs I've ever had in my life!" Zak said, holding his plate up to the camera.

It was lunch time, and one of the boys had made slow cooked ribs. We also had chips (the healthiest we could find for Aaron), and I had baked beans and macaroni salad, which got mixed together with the ribs on accident. So yeah, we're eating slop.

"You're just saying that 'cause you made 'em, bro," Aaron said and laughed.

"Look! You can just stab 'em and eat them. You don't even need a knife-that's how tender they are," Zak said with a mouthful.

"Dude, just use your fingers!" Nick called to them from the picnic table we were chowing down at.

Zak spun around and gave Nick a look.

"There's sauce all over them!" Aaron pointed out.

"Nick, they're boneless. You don't pick up rib meat like an animal. Didn't your mother teach you different?" Zak asked.

Billy snorted and I started snickering. Nick picked up a sauce-soaked rib chunk and tossed it into his mouth.

"Moh," Nick said between chews.

"Behave, Nick. We may show this to Annabelle some day," Zak said.

"She's the one who taught me!" Nick exclaimed.

Zak laughed.

"Anyways," he said, turning back to the camera, "The reason I'm not eating ribs with my hands like one would traditionally do-"

Billy propped his head up with his head and shook his head.

"Here we go," he said.

I took a sip of my water and laughed. When Zak got to explaining things, he couldn't stop.

"-is because these ribs are boneless."

"Ribless," Aaron added.

"Yes!" Zak said loudly, "They are ribless. It's just the meat. And what happens when you cook ribless rib meat, is you get all the awesome, smokey, meaty, ribby goodness without the bone."

"Ribby?" Aaron asked.

Nick laughed.

"Zak's a frog," Nick said.

This caused both Billy and Nick to start making frog noises. Campers that passed by our site stared.

"I don't know you guys," I said and focused on my plate.

"People argue that the bone being left on gives meat so much more flavor, but I gotta tell ya," Zak stopped and bit off a piece of rib off of his fork, "this shit is so good."

Zak moved away again so Aaron could finish his vlog.

"So yeah. Right now we're kind of finishing off lunch. We've been working on it all morning. We also put up some Halloween decorations and Zak and Billy already started their pumpkins. Zak, show us your pumpkin, bro."

Zak held up a ringed index finger as he chewed and swallowed his food.

"Okay. Check this shit out," he said.

He led Aaron around to our fold-out table we had set up for candy later when Trick-or-Treaters came by. Zak and Billy had already finished their pumpkins. I had started, but I was taking my time.

"This is mine," Zak said, pointing to his.

Zak had gone with the traditional approach, which left a whole pile of pumpkin guts nearby. It was starting to attract flies.

"What's on there, Zak?" Aaron asked.

"Vampire," Zak said, eating a forkful of beans.

"Bro, that's really good, actually," Aaron commented.

"I know, right? Freaking boss," Zak said, "I free-handed all of it."

"What?" Aaron exclaimed, "No way!"

"I did. It's called being an artist," Zak said.

Sitting beside my plate was pumpkin seeds and a half, pumpkin innards soaked pattern that Zak had printed off of the Internet the day before we left. I carefully lifted the paper and held it up for Aaron to see.  
When Aaron spotted it, he burst out laughing.

"Ope! Mikey has your secret pattern. Look at that!" Aaron said.

Aaron pointed in my direction. I threw the paper back down.

"That is not mine!" Zak exclaimed.

"Yes it is, dude!" Aaron laughed.

I looked down at the pattern.

"I can't even tell what this is," I said, "Zak, what did you do?"

I got up and walked around to see Zak's jack-o-lantern. I laughed when I saw the familiar bald head and pointed ears of one of the most iconic vampires of the 20th century.

"Oh wow! It's Count Orlok," I said.

Zak took Aaron's camera off of him.

"Count who?" Aaron asked.

"Orlock," Zak replied, "He's the German Count Dracula. For those of you who have not seen _Nosferatu_, this is their Dracula."

Zak moved and got a close-up shot of his creation.

"Didn't they change the name because they didn't have permission to make a Count Dracula movie?" I asked.

Zak nodded. He looked surprised that I knew that.

"Yeah, they didn't have the copyright or something," he said.

I took the camera from Zak.

"If any of you want to see a classic horror film that is actually pretty scary with today's standards, go out and rent or buy _Nosferatu_. It's a silent film and it's a little stupid but anyone who likes vampire movies that aren't shitty will love it," I said, then handed the camera back to Aaron.

"You've seen it, Michael?" Zak asked.

"Not the whole thing. Scared the shit outta me," I said.

Aaron and Zak laughed.

"Let's see Billy's," Aaron said.

Nick got up and ran over to join us.

"Billy's is my favorite so far," Zak said.

On the ground was a pumpkin that Billy had totally Mr. Potato-ed, except instead of Mr. Potato Head parts, it was one of those green pigs from Angry Birds.

"Oh wow! Angry Pig," Nick said.

"That's cheating," Zak said.

Billy squeaked. He acted like he was really offended.

"How is that cheating? Just because I didn't make a mess and get pumpkin guts everywhere?" Billy asked.

He reached for the stringy pumpkin pulp at the side of the table and threw it at Zak. He missed, and the guts splattered in the dirt. Aaron and Nick were laughing.

"Bro, no! Don't throw shit. We'll have flies everywhere," Zak scolded.

Aaron and I walked back over to the picnic table. I threw my paper plate and water bottle away before returning to finish my own jack-o-lantern.

"What's your's gonna be, Mikey?" Aaron asked, camera in my face.

"Well, if I ever finish it, it's going to be a mean pumpkin with a baby pumpkin in it's mouth. I'm having a hard time, though because Zak wouldn't buy decent tools. He bought the plastic-y shit from Walmart," I said.

"Hey!" Zak shouted, "They work. You don't need a bunch of carving tools."

"Yes, I do. I had to use the zester to get the teeth to have toothy texture," I argued.

Aaron burst out laughing when he saw my pile of tools.

"Mikes, dude! Is this what's left?" Aaron asked, picking up the metal part of the zester.

"Yeah," I replied, "I broke it trying to lift the bottom out of the bigger pumpkin."

"Michael! You didn't break my good zester," Zak said as he approached.

"Should have bought better stuff, Mom," I said teasingly.

I was about to pick up my pocket knife and dig out the eyes when Zak picked up some guts and slung them at me.

"Zak!" I whined.

"Bro, quit. I need that for my puking pumpkin," Aaron said.

I picked the seedy orange nastiness off of my sleeve and slung it back at Zak. I got it all over his hoodie.

"Oh hell no!" he shouted.

I stuck my whole hand on the sticky pumpkin innards and gave Zak this look. I was daring him to throw it back.  
Little did I know, Nick had already opened up his pumpkin. He must have been scraping away, getting all the insides loose because when I looked over at him, he had a handful in his hands.

"Pumpkin guts fight?" Nick asked mischievously.

"Wait, bro. Let me shut this off. I wanna play, too," Aaron said.

"We are not having a pumpkin fight!" Zak said sternly.

"Wait, Aaron. Give me the camera. I'll get in the bed of the truck and film it," Billy said excitedly.

"Nick, I think we should gang up on Zak. He's being a party pooper," I said.

Zak gave me this smirk.

"Do not start with me, Michael," he said teasingly.

"Yes, I agree with that, Mikey," Nick said.

While Zak wasn't looking, I spread my fingers and clutched as much guts as I could. Nick dumped some of his guts onto the table.

"Who's team are you on, Aaron?" Nick asked.

"Hmm. Yeah, Aaron?" I asked tauntingly.

"No! We are not doing this," Zak said.

"Just so it's fair, I'll be on Zak's team," Aaron said and walked over to Zak, grabbing a fistful of Nick's pumpkin mush along the way.

"No! No teams! We're not doing this. We'll get shit everywhere," Zak said.

"He just doesn't want his clothes to get dirty," Nick said.

"Don't be such a girl, Zak!" Billy called.

Zak spun around to face Billy.

"You'll be the one cleaning all of it up!" Zak said, pointing to Billy.

Nick and I exchanged glances, both of us smiling and shaking our heads. I raised a fistful of guts, and before Aaron could say anything, guts went flying over the table and hit the side of Zak's head.  
We all burst out laughing. Zak looked at me with his mouth hanging open in shock. The pile of yuck fell down his face and splattered down his shoulder.

"You've had it, Michael," he said.

"So bring it!" I taunted.

Just then, Nick hit Zak in the chest with a glob of orange. Zak grabbed a pile off of the table, split it in half, and threw it at both Nick and I. I squealed took off running. He missed Nick, hitting the trailer door, but I got it in the leg. I quickly scraped off the thrown mess and threw it at Aaron, hitting him in the head.

"Mikey!" Aaron growled.

"Dude! This isn't even a video game and she's getting head-shots!" Nick exclaimed.

"Aaron, you get Nick. I'll take care of Mikey," I heard Zak say.

Shit! Nick grabbed another glob and threw it at Zak, missing. Zak grabbed the glob, now more together since it had dirt and leaves in it, and threw it back. Aaron ran after Nick, so while they were distracted, I snitched my baby pumpkin that I had opened and ran with it to Billy's RV.  
On the back was a ladder. I tucked the pumpkin open side up under my arm and hauled myself up on the bumper. I knew any second Zak would see me and yank me down, so I had to climb fast. He would never get me up there since he was afraid of heights.  
Too bad I couldn't climb very fast. A straight vertical ladder was a chore to climb, especially if you're like me and have very little upper body strength.

"Where did she go?" I heard Zak ask.

Aaron and Nick could be heard squealing and laughing. I could hear shit being thrown.

"She's on the other side of the trailer," Billy lied for me.

That gave me enough time to reach the top and climb up. The problem with this is, I forgot that I was also afraid of heights. Not deathly scared like Zak was, but I would have a problem getting back down.  
I crouched down like an ape and scooped the tiny bit of insides out of the baby pumpkin.

"She's not there, Bill. I think you lied!" Zak called accusingly.

I could see Zak glaring at Billy. Billy held his hands up in defense.

"Bro, I'm on her team," he said.

I heard Zak exhale in aggravation.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, short stuff!" I heard Aaron call.

Nick saw me and winked. I smiled and ducked down when I saw Zak approaching the RV.

"I bet she went and hid in there!" Aaron said.

"That's weird. I didn't hear the door shut," Zak said.

I heard them enter the RV. I could hear them calling for me. Like I was really going to answer. I had to be completely still so they wouldn't hear my thumping around on the roof.

"She's not there," I heard Zak say when they came back out.

When they slammed the door shut, I used that sound to cover up my standing up. I could see Nick and Billy laughing at me.  
I watched Zak's tall, spiky hair move back around the RV. I shuffled forwards and chucked the guts at him, getting it all in his hair. Zak spun around and looked up at me.

"MICHAEL!" he roared.

Aaron and Billy were laughing. Nick was hollering our team's victory.

"Winners!" he shouted.

"You are so dead!" Zak snapped at me.

I put my hands on my hips and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Oh, bite me!" I retorted.

"How are you even doing that?" he asked, his voice shooting up an octave.

"What? Standing?" I asked.

"Yes! That high!"

"It's called perfect balance, Mr. Bagans. I was in marching band throughout part of middle school and high school. I could walk a tightrope," I bragged.

"You better be glad I can't reach you," he threatened.

"Michael, come down here so we can finish setting up our candy display!" Nick called.

I walked over the ladder and shakily moved down it. I knew Zak would be right there, and I could hear Aaron's heavy footsteps approaching. When I came down to head level with Zak, he was standing at the corner of the RV, giving me a death glare. He was covered in pumpkin guts.

"You better fucking run," he said.

I just gave him a look, daring him to do something about it. When I reached the bumper, I jumped off backwards and hit the ground running. Both Zak and Aaron came after me, but Aaron had to stop before I made it to the road. Zak didn't however, and he grabbed me before I could cross the little road that wrapped around the resort.

"Gotcha!" Zak said, wrapping his hands around my waist.

I purposely went dead weight on him, scrambling my feet in a futile attempt to break away from him and run to lock myself in the trailer. I couldn't help but laugh though.

"Get her, Zak!" Aaron cheered.

"You think this is funny?" he asked, laughing.

I yelped when he wiped sticky, itchy gut juice from his hand on my cheek.

"Zak!" I cried out.

"Guys, get out of the road!" we heard Nick call out.

Zak dragged me back over passed the truck and into the campsite. He finally let me go and before I could run to Nick for safety, Aaron put me in a playful headlock.

"You're fun to mess with, Mikey," Aaron said.

"Let go!" I complained.

Zak pulled some guts off of his shoulder and tossed them at me, hitting my thigh.

"If any ghouls come after you tonight, I'm going to let them have you," Zak said.

I looked up at him. He meant for it to sound dangerous and threatening, but it made me think otherwise.

"Whatever you say, old man," I said.

I watch too much of the Addams Family. Aaron let me go and Zak hugged me apologetically.

"You can hide behind me if you want," he whispered.

"You'll be the one to get scared," I said, referring to tonight's haunted trail.

We broke away and he tossed some more guts at me, this time missing. I wanted a bath, so I entered the trailer and went into my room to get a towel and wash my hands.  
Aaron followed me in.

"Hey, I'm fixing to take a shower," I told him.

"Just real quick. I wanna ask you something," he said.

"Shoot," I replied.

"Do you Zak's going to be okay? You know, after last night?"

I walked back out to see Zak and Nick outside the window smiling and laughing.

"Yeah. He'll be alright. We talked about it," I said.

Aaron nodded.

"Good. I'll let you take your shower," Aaron said.

He still seemed unsure, but I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Okay, Aaron," I said.

Aaron smiled and then exited the trailer. I looked back out the window at Zak, and my heart skipped when I saw him laughing at Billy. He was such a gorgeous person, inside and out. It broke my heart last night to see him upset, and I felt the need to protect him now as he did me. I couldn't say I didn't love him now after weeks of denial. Who had I been kidding this whole time? I knew nothing would ever happen between us, but he gave me this new self-confidence. I could love a guy again-even if they were covered head to toe in pumpkin innards.


	13. Pressured

"If they aren't here in five minutes, I'm going to go get them," Zak said.

"Bro, we'll lose our spot! I'm not waiting two hours to go on this thing. Look at the line already!" Nick said, pointing down the line of people from the ages of 12 on up, waiting anxiously for their group's turn to run through the horror trail.

"You stay here and hold our spot," Zak said.

Nick huffed like a child who was not getting their way.

"I don't wanna stay here by myself! And people will get mad at me. They'll think I'm letting three people cut. Let's just wait. We told Aaron and Mikey we were heading out at 6:45. I'm sure they're on their way," Nick said.

Zak sighed and looked back worriedly at the continuously lengthening line, which was now out on the road and beginning to wrap around the club house. Soon, it would make it all the way down to their campsite, which was not that far from the clubhouse. It was a short run from their campsite to the spot where Zak and Nick were standing. But the trail had already started, and though the line was moving slowly, Zak feared it would still be too quick.  
Zak bounced up and down and began to fidget nervously. He did not want to go after Aaron and Michael and leave Nick alone. He would have to move fast and would be too out of breath to do the run when he retrieved the others and returned. He certainly did not want to drag Nick with him and get back to the end of the line. They would be there all night, and the trail only lasted until 11:00. There was already nearly a two hour wait at the point where the line ended now.

"Michael has signal," Nick spoke up, "should I try and call her?"

"Do you have signal?" Zak asked so fast his words strung together.

Nick reached for his cell phone in his pocket and pulled it out. When Zak saw his friend frown, he knew that all hope was lost on that solution.  
Deciding he was too tired and would rather pass out candy, Billy stayed behind at the campsite. So, after watching the costume contest at the recreation hall at the front of the park, Zak and Nick helped Billy pass out candy while Aaron and Michael went trick-or-treating. They knew they probably would not get any candy, but they thought they may have some fun trying. Nick had told them to meet them back at the RV at 6:45 so they could all walk together and get a spot in line for the trail. Now, it was 7:08 and there was still no sign of them.  
Zak bounced on his toes and sighed, squinting through the dark to their lit up campsite, which was just an orange blob to Zak. He saw little kids running around on the road and golf carts passing by, but he could not see Aaron or Michael. He decided that if they did not make it, they would have to either miss out or get in line on their own while he went ahead with Nick. It certainly would not be as much fun, and he did not want Michael to miss out on her first run, but with no way of contacting them, they did not have much of a choice.

Xxx

"Take your flashlight!" Aaron shouted.

"What? I thought you said they weren't allowed!" I shouted from my bedroom in the camper.

"Take it anyway. The field isn't lit and it'll be hard to find Zak and Nick without it!" Aaron called from outside the door.

I dug into one of my bags and pulled out this dinky little nugget flashlight I had gotten about a year ago from an Economy Pharmacy. I stuffed it in my hoodie's front pocket and tore off out of the camper, completely jumping the pull-out steps.

"Hurry up, guys! They already started ten minutes ago," Billy said from his seat at the candy table.

We didn't reply and tore off down the road. Aaron accidentally slipped on the smooth asphalt. I stopped only for a brief moment to make sure he didn't smash his face in, but he recovered quickly.  
"You good?" I asked.

"I'm good. Run!" he said.

I had never ran so fast in my life. I really wanted to run this trail with all of the boys. After hearing the hilarious and slightly nerve-wracking stories about previous runs, I was pumped. We had not meant for our trick-or-treating to take so long, but it happened and my knees and lungs were regretting it.  
Fake caution tape was tied around tiki torches, forming a lane to confine the people standing in line. It was high enough to go under, however, and when I spotted the guys, I dove for it.

"There they are!" Nick exclaimed.

I tucked and rolled underneath the tape, and rolled onto my back, hitting Nick in the leg. Aaron shot in and knelt over to catch his breath and cough.

"We thought you two would never get here!" Zak said.

I couldn't breathe. All I could do was wave my hand around like an idiot.

"Sorry," I croaked.

"We got...caught in...a line," Aaron puffed.

"They had this really...cool alien...display...deal," I said between breaths.

"We got a ton...of candy, though," Aaron said.

Nick took my hands and lifted me too my feet. I coughed hard and as my heart rate slowed. Breathing in all that cold air while running made my chest and throat really sore. I hoped my cold didn't return.

"Good thing you guys made it," Nick said happily.

"We thought we may have to go without you," Zak told us.

"Nah," Aaron said, "we told you we'd make it back in time."

"But you missed the chainsaw guy who came by," Nick said.

"Dammit!" Aaron pouted.

"Yeah, he was wearing a Joker mask," Zak said excitedly.

"Damn!" I agreed.

Nick clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, Mikes. That's definitely not the best part," Nick reassured me.

"That was my favorite one, though!" Aaron whined.

Suddenly, a loud bang came from right behind me. I screamed bloody murder and leapt to the other side of the boys to hide. They laughed at me and Zak grabbed me by the arm to prevent me from hiding.

"It's just shotgun man," Aaron said to me.

I peeked out around Zak to see a slim guy in a brown button-down shirt, jeans, boots, and this mask that was made out of many different patches of fabric. Where his eyes were, there were two black buttons. Where his mouth was, there was a line of X stitching as if his mouth had been sewn up. It would have been more believable if hadn't been maniacally laughing (or at least trying his hand at evil laughing). But it was like something straight out of _Coraline_. And out of all the dark and scary movies I liked, I hated that one!  
But this guy had been right behind me-INSIDE THE TAPE! It got me thinking.

"The actors can't touch you, right?" I asked, looking between the boys.

"They only touch girls," Aaron said jokingly.

I was serious. Nick laughed.

"'Cause I will touch back. With a fist or a shoe or something," I said.

I was trying to sound threatening, but my tone dripped with nervousness. Zak put an arm around my shoulders.

"No, they don't touch you," he said reassuringly.

"If this was an all adult trail, things would be different. But it's not. Ages 12 and up," Nick said.

I sighed in relief.

"But this is like an obstacle course," Zak said.

"Yeah," Aaron chimed in, "Lots of little exhibits with different themes. Lots of ducking and tight spaces. Doorways you can't find."

"They're not really actual doorways. Just tarp with a slit in it," Nick said.

"And there's an intermission part in the middle. Gives you time to slow down and catch your breath before the second half," Zak said.

"Bro, I'm so glad they added that 'cause this shit is scary. I'm already kinda of tired from running out here," Aaron said.

"Need to slow down on that smoking, man," Zak said.

Aaron just smiled and shrugged.

A shriek of people from the back of the line erupted when the gun went off again. I only jumped this time. The shotgun man laughed again, making me and the boys laugh.

"He's terrible at that," Nick pointed out.

When the line moved and we made it to the arch of cobwebs with a Trail of Horror sign hanging from it, we spotted a giant Jack In the Box sitting on the outside of the tape. "Pop Goes the Weasel" was playing over and over in a scary Minor key. Zak got his phone out and began making a video. I assumed it was for Twitter.

"This song is so effin' annoying," he said.

"Dubstep version now," I said jokingly, making them laugh.

"I think Billy has one," Nick said.

"Of this?" I asked.

Nick laughed.

"Probably!"

"If that fucking thing pops out, I'm done," Zak said, filming the Jack In the Box.

The thing was just a big red, yellow, and blue box with a fake crank on the side. It was obviously hand made. I could tell just by the horrendous paint job.

"Zak, I doubt a giant clown is going to spring out," I said.

Zak looked down at me, horrified.

"Great! Now you've jinxed it!" he exclaimed.

Fearful, he backed away just incase it did pop out. I took my phone out to check for any missed calls from Patch or anyone. I had not checked it all day.

"No, you've jinxed it by saying that I've jinxed it," I argued.

Zak turned to me and gave me this look that said: "If you weren't a girl, I'd hit you."

"Shut up," he said and turned back to film it before the line moved up.

I began to whistle along to the childrens song they were looping. When it got to the part where one would sing "Pop! Goes the weasel!" I screamed "POP!" and grabbed Zak's sides. He about jumped out of his skin and yelped.

"Michael!" he shrieked.

Aaron and Nick burst out laughing and Nick high-fived me.

When we were finally up next, we had to stand and talk to a man dressed as a living skeleton with guts hanging out about all of the rules. He scared me, to say the least. It was a pretty convincing costume.

"How many in your group?" he asked.

"Four," Nick replied.

"You boys and this young lady? Alright. Better keep her close. Wouldn't want any of the ghouls and ghosts getting frisky," he said, jokingly.

"What the f-" I was interrupted by Zak.

"We've got her," he said.

Aaron winked at me and laughed. I was disgusted.

"Now, any of you have any heart problems?" he asked.

We all shook our heads. I was slightly worried about Zak, though, with his respiratory problem. How much running were we actually going to do.

"After this you will. Remember you must not touch the ghouls. You cannot use any flashlights or our man will get ya," he said.

As if on cue, shotgun man shot again. The creepy old man in the costume laughed, the sound muffled behind his rubber mask.

"Pick up your feet. There are exposed roots and props laying about. Are there any questions?" he asked.

Again, we shook our heads.

"Trail lasts about thirty minutes, if you live," he said darkly.

The boys laughed. Of course, they had heard this all before.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

We nodded.

"You may pass on," he said, pointing to the dark area down the trail where another gut zombie was waiting. She was a girl version, however.

I walked with the boys down the trail. Our only light source was the fading kerosene lamp light at where the rule guy was and a string of Christmas lights that looked like the lined the entirety of the trail. Up ahead was a plastic table covered in candles in various stages of melting, the little costumed lady, and a black tarp behind her with a slit in like Nick had described.

"Oh man! I hate it when they hide in the corners when you walk through and you don't see them coming," Aaron said.

My heart beat picked up. Great, Aaron. Thanks for telling me!

"Dude! Who's going first?" Nick asked.

"Aaron," Zak said.

"What? No!" Aaron said.

"Oldest goes first, bro," Zak said, grinning.

"That was last year. Youngest this year," he said.

Wait. That was me!

"Hell no!" I barked.

"No, Michael. You're staying in the middle," Zak said.

"Mikey," Nick said, "this is the only time you will ever see us all hold hands."

I laughed.

"It's 'cause Zak gets scared," Aaron explained.

Zak shot him a glare.

"Who's the one who pissed their pants the first time?" Zak exclaimed.

Nick nudged Zak in the side. We had arrived to the lady. She stared at us intently before finally speaking to (oh the horror!) me.

"Take care of these boys, little one," she said, "I remember them from last year."

I smiled at her.

"And make sure Mr. Clean doesn't wet himself," she said jokingly.

Zak, Nick, and I nearly fell over from laughing.

"You may enter," she said.

Zak took my hand, then Aaron took mine and I'm guessing Nick took Aaron's. Maybe. Whatever. This was going to be fun.

Xxx

Nick took Aaron by the wrist as they went through the first tarp, Zak first.

"Look at him," Aaron whispered to Nick, "being a big man for her."

Nick smiled.

"He's usually the last one and we have to drag him through," Nick murmured.

Their conversation was interrupted when a snake lunged out of no where. Zak screamed, causing the others to scream and they took off running straight into a man dressed as Jigsaw.

"Spoke too soon!" Aaron shouted to Nick.

Xxx

"Zak! Run!" I screamed, pushing him through the tarp as little kids dressed as demonic, blood thristy children screamed "Run! Get out!" over and over.

"I'm running!" Zak shouted.

The kids came running after us and Aaron barreled out of that exhibit like a bat out of hell.

"Aaron, stop running! They're just little kids!" Nick said.

"Bro! That lady in there was scary. She had a bleeding baby doll in the fridge!" Aaron exclaimed.

"They have that thing every year!" Zak pointed out.

"Well, it scares me every year," Aaron replied.

I laughed.

"It doesn't help that when the lady asked us to 'stay for dinner,' Mikey said 'Oh, yes please!'" Nick said.

"You have made fun of every single thing we've gone through," Zak said to me.

I shrugged.

"What fun is it if you can't laugh after almost peeing yourself?" I asked.

Zak smiled. We looked around to see that there was a long ways of nothing between tarps.

"This must be intermission," Zak said.

"Thank God!" Aaron said.

We looked around, walking a little ways to catch our breath. So far, this whole trail had been nothing but fun. Nick kept trying to scare me, but it didn't work. We ran, of course, from scary children and horrifying props, but nothing made me scream quite so loud as the butcher house, which was a small, low-ceiling room with fake, bloody body parts dangling from the ceiling. Warm water simulating blood spewed out of the ceiling, deflating Zak's spikey hair.

"Not cool," he had said.

The part that had me screaming was the guy in the overalls and pig mask who was chopping a fake human. Aaron and I both were screaming. I tried to run out, but ended up balling up the back of Zak's jacket in my fists and hiding behind him.

"Look, Mikey. There's Babe all grown up," he teased.

"Stop it!" I cried and grabbed Aaron, dragging him out and into an area that was loaded with clowns.

I've never seen Zak run so fast in my life. I've also never seen an actor break character and laugh so hard.

So now we were in intermission, taking our time before the next part. We walked slowly and discussed the parts that made us laugh the hardest. Zak was walking ahead of us, and I saw a shadow of something fly across the group.

"Ow! What the fuck?"

We all looked up at Zak.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"What happened?" Aaron asked.

Zak rubbed his bicep and looked out into the bushes and trees on the dark side of the trail.

"Dude, something just got thrown at me," he said.

I approached Zak and tripped. When I looked to see what I had tripped on, it was a fairly decent sized rock. I bent over and picked up.

"Was it this?" I asked, holding up the rock.

Zak took it out of my hand and examined it.

"Possibly. That hurt like a motherfucker," he said.

"I thought this was intermission?" Aaron asked.

"That's what I thought," Nick added.

"It is," Zak replied darkly, his eyes glancing up at the bushes.

I turned to look in the direction he was looking. I heard a crunch in the bushes, making me and Nick jump.

"What the fuck was that?" Nick asked, scared now.

Aaron began to get nervous and started nudging us.

"Let's just go forward. The next group will be coming up any minute," he said.

I was listening to the bushes for crunching, and I heard the distinctive sound of muffled laughing.

"There's kids out there," I said quietly.

Zak walked across the dirt trail and looked closer. It was pitch black. I knew he couldn't see anything.

"You got your flashlight still, Mikes?" Aaron whispered to me.

I nodded. I also had my pocket knife from pumpkin carving. I had forgotten to put it up, but now I'm glad I hadn't.

"Who's out there?" Zak asked, almost commanding.

There were giggles from what sounded like two teenaged boys.

"Some ghost hunters you guys are. You're pissing your pants on a stupid Halloween trail!" one laughed.

"Look at him!" exclaimed the other, "What are ya going to do Douche-Bagans? Punch a wall? Break a camera?"

I walked up beside Zak and turned on my flashlight. High up the hill in the bushes were two boys crouched down.

"I can see you, you pieces of shit!" I snapped.

No one, I repeat, no one throws rocks at Zak and calls him names in front of me!

"Ah shit!" one said.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out my knife, and opened it, making sure the light reflected off the blade.

"Ah dude! She's gotta knife! Let's bail!" said the other.

I took off after them.

"Get them, Mikey!" Nick cheered.

Aaron was hot on my heels.

"Michael! Aaron!" Zak shouted.

"Zak! Come on!" Aaron shouted.

"Bring your rock!" I called.

The boys cursed and tripped as they ran alongside the trail. Nick and Zak zipped passed me, leaping over roots, rocks, and bushes. Aaron caught up to me and grabbed me by the shoulders. The sound of bodies hitting the forest's leafy floor could be heard ahead of us. Aaron pulled me to a halt.

"Wait. Stop," he said.

I pointed my flashlight in the direction of the sound and spotted Nick yanking one of the boys off of the ground.

"Come on!" I said, taking Aaron's wrist.

We ran over to Nick and the boy. Nick yanked the kid's arms back behind him like a cop would do. The kid was too tired to fight him, and Nick was slightly stronger. He began to drag the kid away as we approached.

"Nick!" Aaron called.

Nick stopped and looked over at us.

"Where's Zak?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know," Nick replied.

I walked around to the front of the boy, my temper flaring. Son of a bitch, ruining the trail for me and being rude to us.

"Look at me, you piece of shit," I snarled.

I reached in my pocket for my knife. No, I wasn't going to cut him, just threaten.

"Michael, don't touch him," Nick said.

The boy looked up at me. He looked scared shitless, and he should be.

"Was it you who threw the rock?" I asked.

He shook his head, chubby cheeks jiggling.

"Are you lying?" I pressed on.

"Mikey!" Nick scolded.

"No!" the boy squeaked, "It was Tyler!"

"What's your name?" Aaron asked him.

"Duh-duh-Daryl," he replied.

"Well, Daryl, do you think it's funny to throw rocks? How fucking old are you? Twelve? Didn't your parents teach you better?" I spat.

"I-I'm 16," he corrected me.

"Shut up!" I said, hearing enough.

"What should we do with him?" Aaron asked.

Nick nudged Daryl forward.

"We can take him to the end of the trail. Hand him over to the workers," Nick suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Aaron said.

Nick and I nodded.

"We better go find Zak and that other kid. What's his name? Tyler?" Aaron asked.

Daryl nodded.

"You got him, Nick?" I asked.

Nick nodded.

We let Nick pass with Daryl. Up higher on the hill, we heard footsteps. I shone my flashlight to see Zak yanking down the kid named Tyler. I tried to rush the kid, but Aaron stopped me.

"Michael, it's okay. I got him," Zak said.

I wanted to cuss the little motherfucker out. I wanted to pull a whole _Sons of Anarchy_ on him.

"He better be glad I didn't catch him," I said darkly.

Aaron gripped my shoulder.

"It's alright, Michael," Aaron said.

"Where's Nick?" Zak asked.

"At the end of the trail, I suppose," Aaron replied.

Tyler squirmed under Zak's iron grip, accidentally choking himself.

"Let go of me," he croaked.

"Shut the fuck up," Zak growled and dragged the twerp out of the forest.

At the bottom of the hill, we found the end of the trail. Two workers, one dressed up as a Civil War soldier and the other as the Tin Man, and a security guy on a golf cart were standing with Nick and Daryl.

"There's the other one," Nick told them, pointing to Zak.

"Ah! Now we've been looking for this guy all day," said the worker who was dressed up as a Civil War soldier, "He stole a golf cart from a cabin site and ran it down into the river."

Zak handed the little punk over to the security guard. Daryl was left free standing, but he looked to scared to run for it.

"Son, where are you parents?" the security guy asked Tyler.

"He's camping with me and my family, sir," Daryl spoke up.

Zak gently nudged my arm. I looked up at him to see his lip curled and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Sir?" he whispered, "Since when do little punk ass kids use their manners?"

I held out my hands and shrugged.

"What is your name, young man?" the soldier man asked.

"Daryl. His is Tyler," Daryl replied.

The man nodded, then turned to us.

"What happened up there?" he asked.

"We were in the middle of the trail," Zak began to explain.

"That little break area," Nick said.

"They were hiding in the bushes and I guess they recognized us and started throwing rocks," Aaron said.

"It was just one rock. That Tyler kid hit my arm," Zak said, absently rubbing the arm that got hit.

"Do you know these boys?" the security guy asked.

We all shook our heads.

"No, we're from 'Ghost Adventures'," Zak explained.

"Oh, I heard you guys were out camping here!" the worker dressed as the Tin Man exclaimed, "I didn't think I would get to see you guys. Especially not like this."

The soldier guy smiled, but the security guard looked like he could care less. He turned to Daryl.

"What were you boys doing up in the woods?" the security man asked.

Daryl took a deep ragged breath. He almost looked as if he was about to cry.

"Don't you fucking rag on me!" Tyler suddenly snapped.

The security guy turned and told Tyler to shut his mouth.

"We were-we...Tyler had some..." Daryl trailed off.

"Some what?" the soldier guy asked.

"P-pot. He wanted me to try it. I didn't want to. I wasn't going to. Well, maybe I was, but then they came along and stuff was said and thrown. Gosh! I feel so bad. I'm not like that. I'm actually a huge fan of you guys but..." Daryl trailed off as he began to cry.

Zak crossed his arms over his chest. Nick, Aaron, and I were confused.

"Pussy ass bitch!" Tyler screamed at Daryl.

Daryl had to turn away.

"That's enough!" barked the security guard.

"Take him away, please," the Tin Man said.

The security guard nodded and drove off with Tyler zip-tied in the golf cart. Zak slowly approached Daryl and put his hand on the kid's shoulder.

"What's he doing?" Aaron whispered.

Zak turned Daryl around and leaned down to speak with him.

"What's he saying?" I whispered.

"Shh," Nick said.

Zak was speaking really quietly, but I could pick up parts at the end.

"Don't give into this shit, man. Losers like him aren't worth your time. Trust me. I know what it's like to be bullied and talked down to," he said.

Aw, Zak.

"I'm sorry," Daryl whispered.

"For what?" Zak asked.

"For calling you what I called you," Daryl replied.

Zak shook his head.

"Bro, I get that all the time. Don't worry about it," Zak said.

Nick turned to Aaron and I.

"Come on," he said.

I followed slowly behind Aaron as we approached the kid.

"God," I groaned.

"What?" Zak asked.

I sighed as I shuffled forward.

"I guess I shouldn't have said all that stuff I said."

"Michael, what did you do?" Zak asked.

"No, I deserved it. It's alright," Daryl spoke up.

I walked over to the kid.

"I still feel bad about it. Any kid who can stand up to someone like Tyler isn't totally a piece of shit," I said.

Daryl smiled.

"Wish there was a way to make it up to you, man," Nick said.

Daryl's eyes lit up.

"Did you say you were a fan of the show?" Zak asked, holding Daryl's shoulder

"Oh yes! Very much so," he replied.

"Well, maybe we can get you something signed," Zak said.

Aaron pulled out his phone.

"Or a picture," he suggested.

I tried to think of all my wishes I had for if I ever met anyone famous that I was a really big fan of. Just hanging out was all I had really wished to do with the bands and actors who I idolized. Maybe we could make it up to Daryl that way.

"We have s'mores back at the camp," I said.

Zak smiled at me.

"That's a good idea, Mikes. You wanna come hang out with us for a little while, Daryl?" Zak asked.

Daryl suddenly got nervous.

"Oh, I don't know," he said.

"Just for a little bit," Nick said.

"Yeah," Aaron agreed, "Just hang out and talk."

Daryl was quiet as he thought about it.

"Or," the soldier guy spoke up, "I could take you guys back to the middle and you can finish the trail with Daryl."

"Oh yeah!" Nick said, "Mikey has yet to finish it."

Zak looked down at Daryl.

"Sound good?" he asked.

Daryl nodded eagerly.

"Then let's go," Zak said.

"To the trail-again!" Aaron shouted.

It was at this moment my admiration grew for Zak. This kid whom he did not know and was previously aggressive towards him received nothing but kindness from Zak.  
My thoughts were interrupted by Zak himself as he through an arm around me.

"This time, you're going first," he said.

Oh God!


	14. Turtles

Zak woke up the next morning and looked up to see soft, warm sunlight filter through the pull-down blinds, illuminating the lounge and kitchen area of the camper and erasing the darkness that had only been broken by the DVD player's bright blue standby light. Zak had stayed on the pull-out couch and would only go into his room during the day time. For some reason, the nightmare he had had the night previous was still bothering him. He thought that this may be because it was still fresh on his mind. But he feared sleeping in his bedroom, for he thought that when he fell asleep the dream would replay or continue. He could handle any demonic night terror, but not one where someone close to him got hurt by their own family. Being bludgeoned to death by your own flesh and blood-by people who were supposed to love you-was something Zak had a hard time swallowing.  
On this morning, however, Zak woke up feeling nothing but peace. It was almost like the same peace he had encountered by the spirit of Anna Corbin at Preston Castle, but he felt this welcoming happiness too. He felt as if everything in his life at this point in time was perfect, and could never be changed. He would not allow such an amazing atmosphere to be manipulated, and it was all thanks to a pleasant dream that he had as soon as his tired head hit the pillows the night before.  
Zak smiled as he thought about it. It made a pleasing warmth spread through his chest and stomach. He rolled over onto his back and spotted a fluffy green animal in the recliner closest to him. Michael had left her sea turtle Pillow Pet on the table, forgetting to take it to bed with her. Not wanting to leave the warmth of his blankets, but feeling drawn to the turtle, Zak sat up, crawled over to the end of the bed and snatched the Pillow Pet out of it. He quickly snuggled back up into his covers and hugged the turtle, trying to physically recreate his dream as he pressed his face into the back of the soft shell.  
Something that had been bothering Zak for about a month was the fact that filming was almost over. That meant he, Billy, and Aaron would go back to Vegas while Nick flew to his family in New England and Michael went back to Arkansas. He was not ready for filming to end yet, and it stayed on his mind, even as he slept. He was dreading the split before Thanksgiving, but in his dream, it was the same dread, except about working through Thanksgiving and breaking at Christmas. Zak thought the switch was strange, but dreams are weird, so he did not dwell on it too much.  
In the dream, he was outside in the woods, very similar to the one he, Michael, and the guys had been running through the night before. Except in this dream, the ground was damp and littered with dead leaves and pine needles, and the trees were bare. High above him, huge, fluffy snowflakes fell. They looked to him like globs of weightless mashed potatoes. Or maybe chunks of white cotton candy.  
When he looked through the thick trees, he could see the back of an unfamiliar house covered in multi-colored Christmas lights. He could faintly hear the sound of church bells bouncing off the hills. It was Christmas, and it was snowing. Zak took a deep breath of crisp air, taking in the smell of wood, dead leaves, and coniferous trees. He blinked as snow fell around his face and in his eyes. It was a gorgeous night for winter, and even though Zak liked being alone, he wished he could share it with Michael.  
He shivered and looked around. It was cold out, as it should be for snowy weather. Zak was bundled up in a heavy black coat, boots, a scarf, and thick gloves. His face and hair remained exposed, and his baggy jeans were beginning to get stiff as the temperature dropped. The sound of Christmas music could be heard from within the house, and it caught Zak's attention when the volume increased for a moment and then went back to being muffled within the home's walls. Zak turned to face the house as he heard quick footsteps approaching. He smiled when he saw Michael emerge out of the trees. She smiled back at him when she saw him.

"There you are!" she said.

Apparently she had been looking for him. Zak assumed he had left the house, even though the dream started with him standing in the woods. Michael walked up against him and he slipped an arm around her. In the time he had known her, he had never put his arm around her waist, but in this dream, he did. Michael shifted and put both of her arms around his waist, smashing her cheek into his chest in an effort to keep warm. Zak was reeling from her affectionate embrace, as he always did when she was near.

"Aren't you freezing, standing out here?" she asked.

Zak looked down at her. His could feel his cheeks and nose begin to go numb, but he did not care.

"A little," he replied.

To his own ears, he sounded really sleepy.

"Look, Mikey. Did you see the snow?" he asked.

Michael looked up, surprised. Zak looked up to make sure the snow was still falling, and it was.

"I didn't even notice!" she said excitedly.

There were so many trees in the area where Zak was, but the snow was able to make it passed the tree branches in the little clearing where he and Michael were standing. Zak could not help but feel this overwhelming happiness-a kind that was unique to Christmas.

"You see the snow?" Zak asked quietly.

They had to blink in the darkness, but the cloud cover reflected the light from town and the lights from the house were enough to see by.

"Mhmm," Michael hummed, nuzzling her face into his jacket.

They enjoyed the snowfall in silence for what seemed like a long time, but could have been only a few minutes before Michael spoke.

"Freezing my balls off," Michael grumbled as she pressed herself into his side.

Zak laughed and turned to put both of his arms around her. He noticed that not only did she have on a hoodie, but a fleece throw wrapped around her as well as she was still shivering. Zak held her as they watched the snow.

"It's not every Christmas we see snow here," Michael murmured.

Zak looked down and smiled at her. For some reason, he felt that this rare weather made this moment all the more special. He looked back up as the snow came down a little heavier. They were silent. Zak's ears tuned into the crackling noise of snow hitting dead leaves and the little breaths and hums Michael was making-noises everyone makes that one would never normally hear, except in silence like this.  
Zak never wanted to leave this moment. He wished he could just lay down on the forest floor with Michael, holding her and watching the snow and listening to the ambient noise of their surroundings, if it were not for the chilly air.  
There was a part of Zak that knew he was dreaming, and that part wanted to kiss Michael. The message got transferred over into the dream. Zak looked down at Michael. She looked back to give him a contented smile. Zak leaned down and kissed her, feeling this uncontrollable happiness.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he whispered.

Michael smiled and kissed him back, having to reach on tip-toe and balance by holding onto the side of his neck. Zak thought it was adorable and it made him giggle not only in the dream, but out loud and it woke him up to reality.  
The dream left him happy and feeling like he could take on the day without a problem. Today was Sunday, the day they were heading back home. They had decided they would stay until after lunch so they could hang out a little while longer. Michael and Aaron had planned on going through their candy, picking what they liked and then sharing what they did not want. Aaron did not really eat candy, so there was more for Zak, Nick, Michael, and Billy. It was going to be a slow peaceful day and Zak was ready for it.  
Zak laid in the bed for a few hours, running over his dream in his mind before 9:00 rolled around. He could hear Michael stir around 8:00, but she did not shuffle out of her room until around 9:00. Zak jumped when he heard her door being slid open. He turned his head to see around the sea turtle he was clutching his stomach to see a very tired looking Michael clad in a black tank top and Muppets pajama pants with mismatched socks. She was wearing no makeup and her hair, curly from washing, was in a sloppy bun. The shorter pieces were held back by a headband. Zak could shoo away the thought of seeing Morning Michael every morning. Except in the bed with him. It only added to his happy mood.

"Morning, Mikey," Zak said softly.

Michael shuffled to the refrigerator and opened it, leaning heavily on the door.

"Mornin'," she said.

She pulled out a jug of grape juice, shut the door, and moved over to the cabinets above the sink in search of the plastic cups. Zak watched as she yanked them out of the cabinet and sliced open the plastic wrap with her fingernail.

"Want some, Zak?" she asked, "While I have these cups out?"

The question caught Zak off guard, but he responded eagerly.

"Yes, please," he said.

He watched Michael pour the grape juice and put the jug back in the refrigerator. Thoughts flashed before him-wishful thoughts of what she would do when she came over to give him his drink. He wanted to say "Join me." He wanted lay beside her, just watching her and holding her hand.  
He was broken from his thoughts when Michael sat down at the edge of the mattress and handed him his juice.

"Thanks," he said, then took a sip.

Michael had already chugged hers.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked.

Zak shrugged.

"Probably just hang out and relax," he replied.

Michael nodded and threw her cup across the room to the trashcan beside the refrigerator. It bounced off the rim and hit the floor.

"Damn," she sighed.

Zak smiled and scooted out of the bed. He went to pick her cup up and threw both his and hers away. He really did not feel like sitting around all day, even though his muscles were sore from the Horror Trail. Michael had not seen much of the resort other than the rec hall and the trail. Zak decided that maybe he would give her a tour of the park before lunch.

"Let's go wake the guys up," Zak said to Michael, "See if they want breakfast or not. Are you hungry?"

Michael nodded. Zak dug under the bed for his shoes and slipped them on. He was only wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, but thought he would not need a jacket. He found he was wrong when he opened the trailer door.

"Oh my God! It's freezing out there!" he exclaimed, slamming the door shut.

Michael laughed.

"Zak, get your jacket," Michael said.

Zak shook his head.

"Fuck that," Zak said.

He kicked his shoes back off and sat down on one of the recliners. He pulled his knees up to his chin and hugged his legs, teeth chattering. Michael was laughing at him.

"They can just forget it," Zak grumbled.

"So mean," Michael commented.

"They can fend for themselves," Zak said.

Michael laughed.

"Well, make food. I'm hungry," Michael said.

Zak looked over at Michael and smiled. He then hopped to his feet and walked over to the refrigerator.  
"Whatcha want, Mikes?" Zak asked her as he pulled out a box of bacon and a carton of eggs.

"Did we get Pop-Tarts?" she asked.

Zak remembered telling her not to get the Pop-Tarts at the grocery store because they were unhealthy. He knew she could care less, but he had tried to convince her to get something more satisfying.

"I don't remember unpacking them, Mikey," Zak said, "I found the eggs and bacon. You want some eggies and bakey?"

Michael glared at the food his hands, but laughed and shook her head.

"No," she said and got up to join him at the refrigerator, "I know we have some biscuits in here somewhere."

"That means I gotta light the pilot light, Michael," Zak complained.

He was only doing it to tease her.

"I'll do it. I'm the one who wants biscuits anyways," she said as she reached into the back of the refrigerator and grabbed a cylinder of biscuits.

Zak immediately reacted to this. He did not like Michael doing work like that, even though he knew she was fully capable-quite possibly more capable than he was. But because he was polite, he turned her offer down.

"No, you'll blow your face off," Zak said.

"I will not!" she said.

Zak laughed and messed up the top of her hair, sending curly strands into a matted mess.

"I'll go out and turn the gas on. Just let my throw on some jeans," he said.

"I'll open these up," Michael said.

"Alright," Zak replied as he walked to through the lounge to his room.

After breakfast, his of high protein and hers of just biscuits with butter and jelly and chocolate milk (they forgot to buy apple juice), Zak decided to head out before the boys in the RV woke up.

"Let's go exploring," Zak blurted as he poured what was left of his grape juice down the sink.

"Exploring?" Michael asked.

Zak threw his cup away.

"Yeah, come on," he said excitedly.

Zak noticed Michael pick up on his eagerness, so she hopped to her feet to throw away her trash.

"Let me get dressed and then we'll go," she said.

Zak waited by watching a little television. Around ten minutes later, Michael reemerged in jeans, tennis shoes, a hoodie and a beanie over her hair. Zak noticed she had not bothered to attack the hair with a straightening iron like she usually did. He knew she hated it curly, but he kind of like it curly. It was a change and added a touch of femininity that she lacked. It reminded him of when she got sick and laid on his lap in the van on the ride to the airport. He played with unruly strands for hours, not really paying attention to them, but just watching her as she slept.  
They walked outside into the brisk, smoke scented air. The air bothered Zak, and it was hard for him to stay near the campfire when they had made s'mores, but he noticed that Michael loved it. She was a different person outside. She seemed awake, happy, and just pleased to be there. Zak had to admit, even though the air was polluted by the faint smell of burning wood and the sound of little kids, it was a beautiful morning. The sun was out, there were hardly any clouds, and the fog could be seen lifting off of the river on the other side of the park. As they walked down a gravel path between rows of trailers and cabins, Zak felt even happier than he had been when he woke up, for he was sharing it with Michael.  
They did not say much unless Michael pointed out a display at someone's cabin or the little playground, where she said Aaron tried his hand at tetherball and failed miserably. The visual she had given Zak made him laugh.  
When they arrived at the river, Zak's mood moved into full intergalactic oneness with the world. Fog was lifting, men were in their tall boots fishing, and a boat could be seen far upriver near the front of the park. Zak reached over to Michael and tapped the back of her arm, grabbing her attention.

"Come on. Be careful on these rocks," he said.

With Zak leading the way, he and Michael traversed the steep slope that was covered in loose river stones. Michael tried several times to not take heed to Zak's warning and run down the slope. Zak had to grab her arm before she slid and fell.

"You don't listen very well, do you?" Zak asked, laughing as her second attempted to racing down the hill failed.

"Nope. I dread walking back up this," Michael said.

Zak looked behind him to the steep hill they had traveled down. His sore leg muscles would burn like almighty hell when they did decide to leave. Looking up and down the river bank, there was not a single spot that was less steep. He would just have to buck up and climb it.  
When they reached the river, Michael sat down and looked around. Zak stood close beside her and took in the sights. The water was clear and sparkled as the morning sun hit it. He had to squint to look down river. The river was not very wide. If he picked up a rock and threw it, he would hit the northeast bank. He knew it was not very deep, especially in the area they were. The water was low on this morning, making a large pebble island in the center. The rapids were still there, though not as aggressive as they had been one summer when he and the guys went tubing down them. They were really nothing impressive, but it was a fun little shoot down the river.  
Zak reached down and picked up a smooth, oval shaped stone. He swung his arm back, then tossed the stone. He skipped three times of the rapids before crashing on the little island.

"I was never able to do that," Michael spoke up.

Zak picked up another rock and slung it, skipping it off the water and into the island again.

"It's not hard. Just gotta have the right rock," he told her.

Michael stood to her feet and picked through the river stones until she found the flattest rock she could find. Placing the rock in between her index finger and thumb, she flicked her wrist sharply, sending the stone spinning like a frisbee into the water. Zak watched as the rock semi-skipped before sinking. He chuckled and looked over at Michael, who looked slightly peeved.

"I tried," she said.

Zak smiled at her.

"Well, it was a good try," he said, trying to make her feel better about it.

She gave him a half-smile. He knew that this was boring her and bumming her out. He could see it in her eyes, so he thought of something to do that was more adventurous. Something that would be more stimulating for her. However, he also had desire to do something a little more crazy.  
Upriver at the beginning of the rapids, the river split in a Y shape. The other branch that could barely be seen because of the opposite bank's high trees and overgrowth, but Zak knew that the other side was dry. It always was, and it certainly would be with the water as low as it was. He wanted to go exploring over there, and there was only one way to do it.

"Let's cross the river," he said to Michael.

Michael looked up at him like he was crazy.

"Are you kidding?" she squeaked.

Zak hobbled on one foot to yank his shoe and sock off. Obviously, he was not. He grinned deviously at Michael.

"Zak, it's 40 something degrees out here!" she said.

"50 something," he corrected.

"Either way, it's cold. That water has got to be like ice," she said.

Zak just smirked.

"Michael, this river is cold year round. Come on. Take your shoes off," he encouraged.

He pulled off his other shoe and sock, then stuffed his socks in one shoe and held them with one hand.

"It'll be fun. The guys and I used to do this all the time," he said.

Michael sighed and pulled her own shoes and socks off.

"After a few tries, the water gets warm," Zak said.

Michael held Zak's shoulder for balance as she pulled her last sock off.

"Probably not a good thing," Michael pointed out.

Zak smiled.

"You're probably right," Zak said as he rolled his jeans up to his knees.

Michael did the same.

"How deep is this water?" she asked.

Zak shrugged.

"Ankle deep across here," he said.

Michael finished rolling up her jeans and looked up at Zak.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. Zak stepped in first. The edge of the water was always warmer. Zak did not think it was so bad until he took a step deeper on the algae covered rocks. He hissed through his teeth and his muscled tightened as frozen pain burst through his feet. Michael giggled at him.

"Cold?" she asked.

Zak breathed in deeply, then turned to her and put on a fake smile.

"Nope!" he squeaked.

Michael laughed at him. For some reason, this made him happy. He noticed she laughed at the boys a lot, but more so at him than the others. He knew he was not _that_ funny. She seemed to understand his humor, though.

"Your turn," he said.

Michael shook her head.

"I'm scared," she said.

She did not sound too scared to Zak, however. She was still laughing.

"Come on, Michael!" he said in a tone that one would use on a dog.

"If I fall, I swear..." Michael trailed off as she watched the water apprehensively.

Zak laughed.

"I'm not going to let you fall. Here, take my hand," he said.

This reminded Zak of when Michael asked him to take her hand in order to show the spirit of Sue Ellen Hewitt that not all guys were abusive. He got this strange feeling of security and the need to protect when he took her hand. It was something he had only felt towards Nick and Aaron, but not nearly this strong. When had sat down in the floor with her to speak to Sue Ellen's spirit, he felt no need to fake any kind of affection towards Michael. He felt this need to love her, and at first he thought it was Sue Ellen channeling through him, telling him what he should do. It was not until the spirit left and Michael broke down that Zak realized the feeling had not subsided.  
Michael tentatively took Zak's hand and went ahead and jumped into the river. Zak yelped as water splashed onto his legs. Michael screamed and instantly froze up, a look of agony and temporary hatred on her face as she looked at Zak. Zak laughed.

"It's not that bad," he said.

He was lying, though.

"I bet we look like idiots!" Michael playfully hissed.

Zak laughed again.

"Let's go."

He held Michael's hand tightly as the waded across the current. Michael's bare feet slipped in the river slime twice, and Zak had to hold her by the waist once as he himself almost lost balance. The rocks hurt his feet, and though Michael was not complaining, he knew she had to be miserable.

"Plow through it," Zak said.

Michael nodded. Zak leapt like a mountain goat and was soon up on the island. He held both of Michael's hands and helped her up onto the pebbles.

"You alright?" Zak asked.

Michael nodded. She looked pleased with herself that she made it across the river. There was still a bit left that was not as rough, and certainly not as wide. Michael went across it first without Zak's help. He quickly followed.  
The reached the northeast bank and plopped down in the rocks, exhausted, frozen, but feeling accomplished. They slipped the socks and shoes back on to rewarm their feet, then Zak took Michael's hand and led her up the embankment and into the wooded area of the little peninsula. The brush was thick and covered in frost, but nothing too high for the both of them to walk over.  
When they made it to the other side to the next branch, Michael went ahead of him. It was like a completely different world from the cold, wet world on the other side. This area was as dry as the desert. River rocks that had been caked in mud had been baked by the sun and were stuck in the ground as if they had been cemented in. There were no fisherman, no one skipping rocks, and no boats here. Just morning birds and the occasional rodent.  
Zak sat down in the grass and propped his arms up on his knees. Michael reached down and picked a rock out of the dirt. She proceeded to throw it so hard that Zak heard an audible crack come from her shoulder. The rock flew a good distance before hitting the dry river bed and shattering. The rocks were dry here, Zak was sure he could find a fairly porous one and smash it like a dirt clot.  
Michael returned to Zak and sat down beside him. They were silent. Zak could not think of anything to say. They were both tired and ready to go home today, but Zak was just enjoying this moment. It was cold, but the sun was warm on his face and he was enjoying Michael's company.

"I'm going to miss this," Michael spoke up.

Zak was surprised.

"What?" Zak asked.

Michael did not look at him, and resorted to picking at her nails.

"This. All of this. Hanging out with you guys. Break is coming up too fast," she replied.

Zak wanted to tell her how much he agreed. Of course he agreed, for working on Ghost Adventures was always exhilarating and life changing for Zak, but he would really miss Michael. He did not see how he could handle break. He would see Billy and Aaron often, and it was a little hard when Nick went back to New England, but with Michael not staying with him on this long break, he did not know if he could handle it, or if he would be driven insane. He had plenty to distract himself with, but he knew he would care about none of it when Michael was on his mind.

"I'll miss it too, Mikes. But, we still have two lockdowns left before everything is said and done," he said.

Michael picked at the grass and sighed.

"When do we start up again?" she asked.

"Mid-January, I believe," Zak replied.

Michael groaned.

"That's a long time," she said.

Zak nodded.

"Well, maybe you can fly out to Vegas and we can have early Christmas with Bill and Aaron. Spend a week or so at my place before Christmas," he suggested.

Michael smiled at that.

"That's an idea," she said.

"_Too bad it won't snow_," Zak thought.

"What do you do for Thanksgiving?" Zak asked curiously, partially changing the subject.

"Well, used to, we would go to Grandma's. Now, that's not the case anymore," she explained.

Zak scooted in closer, interested in Michael's story.

"What do you do now?" he asked.

"We have Thanksgiving at my house. It's just me and Patch. We smoke a turkey, cook up food to last us for an entire week, then we eat too much. Patch usually watches the game and drinks. We sometimes have three to four hour calls with my cousins in Texas."

Zak nodded. Michael looked up at him.

"Nothing too exciting," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

Zak smiled. He suddenly had an idea.

"Well, I would still love to see Patch again. Maybe I can have you guys flown out to Vegas for Thanksgiving at my place," Zak suggested.

Michael raised an eyebrow at him.

"You don't have Thanksgiving with your parents?" she asked.

Zak shrugged.

"Well, with work and all, we're usually on the road. It just happened to work out this year. It's kind of hard to have Thanksgiving, since my parents are split," he said.

Michael looked down at her shoes and nodded. He had never told her much about his parents, but he could have sworn it came up in conversation.

"But you guys could totally come up to my house," Zak said.

Michael smiled.

"Zak, with the airports all crazy at Thanksgiving, it will be nearly impossible," she said.

Zak nodded. He had forgotten about how crazy stuff got around the holidays.

"But thanks, though," she added.

"Welcome," he said quietly.

"But that Christmas thing may work," Michael said.

"Oh yeah?" Zak asked.

He was really warming up to the idea of having Michael and Patch spend a week at his house. It would help tide him over until filming restarted.  
Michael nodded. Over on the other side of a fallen tree, a rock tumbled down and scared them.

"Just a rock," Michael confirmed.

Zak craned his head to see. He could not see, but he nodded anyway.

"What do you guys do for Christmas?" Zak asked.

These were dumb questions to him, but he just wanted to hear Michael talk. He liked how she spoke, roughly for a girl with this slight Oklahoma twang that sounded to Zak like she had been trying to break. Some of her phrases, however, were still very Southern sounding, and it was different from what Zak was accustomed to listening to. He loved it, though. He had begun to love everything about her.  
Michael was not the kind of girl Zak would find himself going for, yet, he was falling hard for her. She was not bubbly and girly like he was used to. Most girls he went for were the polar opposite of Michael, being flirtatious and even on some occasions, promiscuous. Of course, Zak was thinking one thing when it came to them. It was painfully obvious. He had been set on trying to match his image with a girlfriend with the same view on her appearance, but with Michael, it was different. It was her darkness that attracted him-at first.  
Michael had no tattoos that Zak knew of, and oddly, no piercings. Her hair was as dark as his was naturally, and she paid no attention to it unless they were in public. Even then, she did not care if it got wet or was blown around by the wind. Her clothing was different too. Her shorts never reached higher than mid-thigh, and it was rare she would wear a tank top or something flowy. It was almost always a t-shirt, but he did not mind that.  
Michael was built like a boy. Zak noticed this the first time she did a photoshoot with them and the time Aaron did shots for her so she would have a writer's page on the blog. She broad shoulders for a girl, and straight hips instead of curved. The only places that were curved were his thigh muscles and her chest. Zak could not help but notice she was not, in the way Michael had described it, tater-tot chested. She was gifted, and what Zak respected is that she did not flaunt it. She was pretty muscular for a girl. She was bigger boned, but no where near overweight. She was not thin. She was about like Nick, if Zak had to compare her to someone.  
But Zak liked this. She respected herself, and he respected her for this. He also loved that she was able to speak her mind, and often fired off things she should not. He assumed she got it from her Aunt Patch. She could hold her own around the guys, which impressed Zak. Aaron would say something to tease her, and where most girl's would whine and tell him to stop, Michael would bite back and make everyone laugh. She and Zak had similar interests as far as music and movies went. The thing that got Zak was that his dark side did not scare her. His clothing did not bother her (although, she dressed just like him. He should not have been surprised.), his house did not bother her. His little quirks never annoyed her. She was highly independent, but always let Zak do things for her. He would never do things he had done for Michael to any other girl whom he was not in a serious relationship with. For some reason, he just felt he should. Was it sympathy for her troubled past? Yes and no. Mostly no. She was that other half that he had not known that he had been searching for. He was not really looking for a woman with that celebrity image that he was putting on. He was looking for someone just like him.  
Plus, she was not scared of the paranormal, and seemed to understand it about as well as the guys did. This was a huge bonus for Zak, and he had grown to love Michael just because of that. Her take no shit attitude, her sweet smile, her style, mixed with a love for the darkness in life had made up Zak's mind. She seemed attached to darkness. She searched for it, even when he told her not to. She craved it, just as he did.  
He knew she had been hurt severely before, and it amazed Zak that she had learned to trust him. They seemed to have this connection. The ran on the same wavelength, much as a spirit whose voice a human can hear with their own ears is.  
The rock slid again, making Michael stand up suddenly in the middle of describing Christmas to him.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

Michael did not reply as she walked off towards the rock. Zak climb to his feet and followed. Michael climbed over the tree and stopped. Zak climbed on top of the tree and landed beside Michael. He was scared that there may be someone out here with them-perhaps someone not alive anymore. But when Zak saw what Michael was staring at, he was relieved.  
A little brown turtle was scrambling up the steep slope, trying to get to the other side of the river bed.

"You poor thing," Michael said.

She walked over to the turtle. Zak got nervous as he saw the turtle close. He feared it was a snapping turtle, but he did not know much about reptiles. He tended to avoid them. He was about to tell her not to touch it, but he knew if the poor creature turned himself over trying to climb the loose rocks, he would be bird and raccoon food.  
Zak watched as Michael gently lifted the turtle by the dome of its shell. He was amused to see her hold it far away from her.

"Michael, it can't bite you like that," he said.

"No, but they can pee like pack mules," she said.

A high-pitched laugh erupted from Zak's throat. He had never heard that phrase before. Camel, yes, but not pack mule.  
Michael carried the turtle up the rocks and set him down in the grass. To their surprised, the turtle immediately popped out of his shell and began to crawl into the trees.

"He's on a mission," Michael said, making Zak smile.

"He's getting it, boy," Zak said.

Michael walked back over to Zak and brushed off her hands.

"Guess he soaked up some sun," she said.

"How did you know that thing wouldn't snap at you?" he asked.

Michael laughed.

"It was just a little mud turtle. They're sweet," she said.

Zak looked up to see the turtle's orange eyes looking at them. He smiled, and he felt like the Grinch whose heart grew two sizes. That was it to top of his love sundae for Michael-her love for animals.


	15. The Ghosts of Lanark Nursing Home

One job I like doing more than anything is driving. As a kid growing up in a rural area, I was always driving something, whether it be a lawnmower, a truck, or a tractor on occasion. I loved hauling things, and before I even got my first driver's license, I was pretty good at handling large trailers in big trucks. So, when Zak offered me the chore of driving the truck back to Vegas, I took it. The campfire smoke had given him a migraine, so he slept in the backseat on the ride home. Aaron rode with me in the passenger seat to give me directions and keep me company.  
It got dark when we crossed the state line into Nevada, so it was the perfect time to get driving hypnosis. Aaron had to keep talking to me, but it didn't help. The only relief I got was when I received a phone call. Aaron, unlike Zak, would not let me talk and drive, so we hooked the phone up through the stereo and used speaker phone. This feature was becoming increasingly popular with me. Maybe because I was getting used to talking to more than one person at a time. No matter.  
The person was Aunt Patch just calling to say hi.

"I don't hear blaring music. You're worrying me, Michael," she said.

I laughed.

"Zak's sleeping in the backseat. He has a headache," I explained.

"Oh, poor dear. Well, how was your break?" she asked.

"Pretty fun. We're driving back home from camping right now," I replied.

"You hate camping, Michael," she said, calling me out.

"We had electricity, Patch. Zak rented a trailer and Billy brought out his RV," I said.

"Oh, okay. That makes more sense. Well, when is your next lockdown?" she asked.

I looked over at Aaron for an answer. He shrugged and gave me this "Don't look at me" look.

"Hell if I know," he said.

I laughed.

"I believe it's either Monday or Tuesday. We're flying out tomorrow," I said.

"Cool, cool. Well, um, your Aunt Elena called me this morning," Patch announced.

Ah shit! Elena Roberts was my dad's sister. So, my first aunt, I guess. Patch was my great-aunt, even though she was really too young to be my great-aunt. My parents and grandparents never discussed it, so I never asked. But Elena lived in Texas with my cousins, and she never really talked to me unless she had to. She never spoke to Patch, so I had no idea why Elena would be calling.

"Apparently, your father called her and told her about the fight you had with your mom," she said.

"Dammit! Did she tell you what happened?" I asked.

Patch sighed.

"Yes, dear, and I'm so sorry to hear that she said that to you."

I was quiet. Aaron looked at me curiously. He and Nick did not know, and I did not feel like discussing it.

"But you still have me, you know. You don't have to go back to Oklahoma for anything. I can take care of it," she said.

I smiled.

"Thank-you, Patch," I said.

"But I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to move out of The Hollow and live with the twins in Dallas. There would be more to occupy yourself with there," she continued.

The Hollow was what I called my home. It was on a hill, nestled in a clump of tall trees. A spring was running out of the cliff behind it and there was a creek bisecting the backyard. It reminded me of Beatrix's Potter's _Peter Rabbit_, so I named it "The Hollow." It was kind of like how the Weasley's from _Harry Potter_ called their home The Burrow.

"Patch, I'm not leaving Arkansas. I have everything there," I said.

Everything except the boys, that is.

"Well, it's up to you. I don't want you to move away at all but, sweetheart, there will come a day where I won't be around anymore."

"Patch, you're only 60. Not 90," I said.

"That's beside the point, babe. I'm saying this because I don't want you to get lonely. You don't have your parents anymore. There's me and there's your cousins."

"I have the crew," I said.

"That's what I was about to get to, Michael. I've seen how you are when you're alone. I mean truly alone, not that comfortable seclusion you do on purpose."

I don't like people. What can I say?

"Michael, I will always be here for you, but I want you to have a backup plan. I always worried about you when the twins moved away. I know you have the boys, but listen. You may stick this job out way into your 40s and 50s. Maybe long enough to retire, if you ever do. I won't be around by then. What will you have to come home to? And don't say pets. All the dogs in the world will not bring you enough happiness."

I sighed. She was right. I could live on my own knowing there was family nearby. But even if Patch was gone, it was a long way to Dallas and an even longer way to Vegas. Inconvenient and the epitome of loneliness.

"I want you to promise me something, babe. This is why I keep insisting you find a boyfriend. You need to find someone who loves you and cares about you. Someone who would never in their wildest dreams lay anything but a kiss to your cheek."

I wanted to cry at that, but I couldn't.

"Promise me you'll find someone you can spend your life with instead of isolation," she said.

I swallowed hard.

"Of course, Patch," I said.

I felt Aaron place a comforting hand on my arm.

"Tell her about Zak. Like what you texted me," Aaron whispered.

I glanced at him.

"Are you sure?" I whispered.

Aaron glanced in the backseat, where Zak had snored the day away. He then looked back to me and nodded, confirming that Zak was totally out and could not hear me.

"Hey, Patch?"

"Yes, babe?" she asked.

"You know how you said you knew love when you saw it?" I asked.

She was silent for a moment. I had a feeling she was probably nodding, then realizing that I could not see it.

"Yes," she replied.

"I think you were right," I said.

I glanced in the rearview mirror at Zak, who was passed out face down.

"Which one?" she asked.

"Oh, you know," I said teasingly.

"The muscle puppy?" she asked.

Aaron laughed.

"Yes, Patch," I replied, laughing.

"He's a sweetheart, hun. I think you made a good choice. Well, I need to get off of here and go give your damn dog a bath. He rolled in horse shit again," she said.

Aaron and I burst out laughing.

"Okay, Patch."

"You will keep your promise, won't you?" she asked.

"I promise, Aunt Patch," I said.

I could sense that she was smiling.

"Good. Call me soon," she said.

"I will. Goodnight, Patch," I said.

"Night, babe," she said.

I hung up and slipped my phone into the cup holder.

"I'm not good at keeping promises like that," I admitted to Aaron.

"It'll work out," he said.

I looked over at him. His beard and 'stache twisted up into a smile. I doubted he was right, but I knew I had these guys to go to, whether the promise worked out or not.

Xxx

Two days later. 4:00 PM. Lanark Nursing Home. 30 minutes outside of Seattle, Washington.

"A paranormal team came here several years ago and caught a black mist floating down the stairs. They believe it is the ghost of a woman named Edith March. She lived here for a few years in the 1950s before she fell to her death on the staircase."

Zak raised an eyebrow at the abandoned nursing home's caretaker.

"Was she pushed?" he asked.

It was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Oh no! She tripped over her cane and fell. She broke her hip and her neck," the caretaker replied.

"So there have been a lot of accidental deaths here at Lanark Nursing Home?" Zak inquired.

"Only those few. The rest of been natural or medical complications," replied the caretaker.

Zak nodded. This place sounded a bit disappointing to him. Natural death? That happens all the time, and most do not cause good hauntings unless the dead had unfinished business. Usually, though, if a person was old enough to make it to a nursing home, they had accomplished their life goals, for the most part.

"The reason we called you guys here is for our main haunting," the caretaker said.

Zak sighed in relief.

"Thank God," Nick murmured to Aaron.

"A man named Michael Springfield lived here for 15 years."

"Fifteen years?" Zak asked.

Instead of saying "Yes, isn't that something?" the caretaker's tone turned cold.

"That's correct," he said flatly

Zak was taken aback by this.

"Mr. Springfield was 103 years old when he finally passed," he continued.

Zak, Nick and Aaron exchanged confused and slightly frightened glances. They could not help but notice the use of the word "finally."

"So, you believe he is causing some of the claims? The items being thrown and the screaming and stuff?" Zak asked.

The caretaker just nodded.

"You need to speak with Colleen Smithy. She was his nurse," the caretaker said.

Zak was curious.

"Where might we find her so we could speak with her?" Zak asked.

"I have her number I could give you," the caretaker suggested.

"That would be great. Was there any family of Mr. Springfield's that you know of? We would like to get as much information as possible," Zak continued.  
The caretaker glared at Zak as if he had killed his dog.

"No," he said coldly.

The caretaker walked off, leaving Zak, Nick, and Aaron behind and very confused.

Later, Zak was able to get a hold of Colleen Smithy, who was more than happy to give them a brief tour of Michael Springfield's room and tell them the history. To Zak, she sounded relieved and ecstatic that professionals were going to get the haunting under control-or at least, better understood.  
Colleen arrived at Lanark wearing teddy bear scrubs. She had just gotten off work, and it made Zak even more curious.

"Are you still a nurse?" he asked her while the cameras were rolling.

Colleen nodded.

"I am. Fifty-five and still moving right along," she said cheerfully.

Colleen Smithy was a short lady, plump with gray hair that was permed into what looked like to Zak a cotton ball on the top of her head.

"That's awesome. So I'm guessing they shut down the nursing home while you were still working here?" Zak asked.

Colleen nodded.

"Yes, about two months after Mr. Springfield's passing," she said.

"Why did they close it?" Zak asked.

"We weren't aware it had been shut down recently," Nick spoke up.

"I'm not surprised. They shut it down because of the hauntings. Mainly Mr. Springfield," she replied.

"Can you tell us a bit about Mr. Springfield?" Zak asked.

Colleen nodded eagerly.

"Sure. Mr. Springfield was brought here in 1992. He was suffering from bipolar disorder. He apparently had had it all of his life. He contracted various um, _diseases_ during his life-span and was not able to live on his own without medical supervision and the prison would not take care of him any longer," she explained.

Zak was surprised.

"Prison?" he asked.

"What kind of diseases, I wonder?" Aaron pondered out loud.

"Yes. He was a...uh, a rapist. He raped any woman he got his hands on. Any age, any race, anyone," she said.

"Anyone?" Zak exclaimed.

Colleen nodded.

"Yes. Even little girls. He was a very, very sick person," she said.

Zak paled at this.

"And he killed most of them," she added.

"Holy sh-shoot," Nick said, correcting himself before he accidentally cursed.

"How many women did he harm?" Zak asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We do not know. We do know that he killed 120 women before he was sent to prison," she said.

"120?" Zak exclaimed.

Colleen nodded.

"Yes, and he was finally arrested when he was in his late 50s. He had contracted several sexually transmitted diseases by then. When he arrived into our care, we had to keep him in isolation so he would not pass on any of his diseases to the other residents of the home."

Zak was disgusted, as was Nick and Aaron.

"He was a complete burden. A waste of human. I know that's horrible to say, but I believe with this man, it was true. He would _not_ die, and by his 98th birthday, we thought he would live forever."

"God," Zak breathed out.

"He moaned and screamed all night. He would get out of bed and roam the halls. We had to lock him in his room, which is terrible, especially when he had to remain isolated, but we had no other choice. He attacked several nurses and several female residents, still trying to rape them. He would take his gown off and huddle down in his room in the floor and rock back and forth. I have seen his ghost doing that," she said.

"Really?" Zak asked.

"Yes. When he was alive, he didn't want anyone feeding him or dressing him or even bathing him. He would spit on us. Sneeze and cough on us. As he got older, he tried even harder to keep us away. He would urinate on the male nurses. He would defecate and smear it all over his room in an attempt to keep us from touching anything. He even learned how to make himself vomit and would just throw up on us."

"That's sick. Did he ever throw up on you?" Zak asked.

"No, fortunately for me. I was the one who discovered his..._paintwork_ with the feces," Colleen said.

"This is reminding me of Fort Chaffee. Remember, guys?" Zak asked.

Nick and Aaron nodded. Zak turned to explain to Colleen about the men who would rub feces on themselves to keep from being raped. Colleen nodded. She mentioned that she had seen that episode.

"So, what are the claims about Mr. Springfield's spirit haunting these halls?" Zak asked.

Colleen gestured for the crew to follow her to the elevator, which would take them to the floor where Michael Springfield had lived. She told them that sometimes his face could be seen in the mirror on the ceiling of the elevator. His shadow had been seen walking down the hall and his moaning could be heard.  
When they walked into his room, Zak's nose wrinkled.

"Did they not sanitize this room?" he asked Colleen.

"Do you smell it? Sometimes I do. We believe it's residual," she said.

Zak inwardly groaned.

"This room has been cleaned since Mr. Springfield lived here, though. Now, you would think an old feeble man could not harm the living, but I personally do not believe that he is 103 years old in spirit," she said.

"You don't?" Zak asked.

Colleen shook her head.

"No. I believe he is young, very much alive, and very dangerous," she said.

Zak was a little frightened, and feared how he and the guys would fare during the lockdown.

"Now, he was afraid of men. Especially muscular men like you, Mr. Bagans. He may even be afraid of you," Colleen said, gesturing to Nick.

Aaron stomped his foot.

"Damn! Guess I'm not scary," he said.

They laughed.

"Well, as long as you're not female, I don't think you're in harms way," Colleen said.

"You're female," Nick said, pointing out the obvious, "Do you not feel anything in here?"

Colleen smiled.

"I do when I'm alone. Mr. Springfield knows me, and he would try to harm me if you boys weren't in here with me. He always went for the weaker girls. He mostly raped children when he was not incarcerated. Young women. Teenagers. The younger ones, you know. Nothing angered him more, though, than a strong female. It made him livid! Just livid! The stronger they were, physically and mentally, the harder it was for him to have them."

Zak glanced over at Nick and Aaron, a wicked look in his eyes.

"Bro," Nick warned.

"Dude! I know that look! Don't even-"

Aaron was cut off.

"Michael!" Zak called loudly.

Xxx

"Michael!" I heard Zak call from above.

"Ah, dammit!" I hissed.

I was downstairs in the lobby office helping Billy and Jay hook some cables up underneath a table when I heard Zak call my name. Billy was laughing at me.

"Can't get anything done!" I complained, not really minding that I was being called. Just peeved.

"Go ahead, Mikes. I got this," Billy said.

I nodded and got off my knees, dusted them off, and walked out into the lobby. Lanark Nursing Home was a huge building-a mansion, if you will. I read on a plaque that Dr. Garmin Lanark bought the mansion and turned it into a nursing home in the early 1940s, where it remained a nursing home for the elderly until 2007, when it was closed for it's violent hauntings. There was a staircase in the building's foyer made out of dark wood, intricately carved and wide enough to fit coffins two at a time. The place gave me the creeps, but not as bad as a modern nursing home. I would have never been able to set foot in the place if it was more modern and did not look like a house. I had this phobia of places like hospitals and nursing homes. I think it was a mortality thing.

"Mikey!" I heard Nick call.

I groaned and climbed the stairs. I remembered seeing an elevator off to the side of the stairs, but I knew better than to use an elevator in a place like this.  
I found the guys interviewing a woman on the third floor. They were at the very end of the hall in a section that was not made out of wood, but instead had metal walls and a huge high security door in front of it. Inside, there was only one door that opened to a room I assumed was prone to high paranormal activity.  
When I entered, Zak waved me over.

"Mrs. Smithy, this is our photographer, Michael Wilde," Zak introduced me.

I smiled at the cute little woman and shook hands with her.

"Nice to meet you, dear," she said.

"Mikey, we need your help on this lockdown," Zak said.

I looked up expectantly at him.

"This will be kind of like Dunlap, except without pictures," he said.

I cocked my head to the side. What in the hell was he wanting me to do this time?

"What?" I asked, eyes wide.

"There is a spirit in here whose name also happens to be Michael. His name was Michael Springfield. He was a pretty sick, disgusting person. He hated women who knew how to hold their ground," he said.

"So you want me to go in there and kick some ghost balls?" I asked.

Aaron started laughing. Zak tried to suppress his own laughter.

"No. Well, yes and no. We want to use you as bait. You think you can handle it?"

I nodded.

"Sure. No problem," I replied.

Mrs. Smithy sighed. She didn't seem to like this idea very much.

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing," she said to me.

Nope!

"We have everything under control," Zak assured her, "Thank you so much for sharing this information with us."

"Well, it was my pleasure. I'm so glad you guys are out here doing this. Maybe you can help some of these souls out tonight," Mrs. Smithy said.

I shuffled over to Aaron as Zak and Mrs. Smithy finished up. He looked unusually worried. When I looked over at Nick, he couldn't even keep eye contact with me. I was beginning to feel uneasy about this Michael Springfield.  
Two hours later, the home's caretaker locked us in. Zak pulled me to the side before we started filming. Nick and Aaron seemed a little nervous, and it was making me feel uncomfortable. If _they_ were uneasy about a lockdown, then _I_ should be terrified, right?  
Zak took me into the lobby office and held me by the shoulders. His expression held an alarming amount of concern.

"Michael," he said, then exhaled deeply before continuing. Whatever this was, it was really bothering him.

"I'm putting you at great risk, making you do this. I should have asked you first," he said.

"What? Is it demonic?" I asked.

I refuse to work the demonic stuff. I'm total chicken shit when it comes to the more evil entities. I had zero experience with them, and I left that stuff to the boys.

"No, it's not demonic," Zak said, "but the man was a very evil person. He raped and murdered a lot of women."

I nodded. A criminal mind was what I was going to be working with. It was a challenge, but I could try this.

"You want me to go in there and draw him out?" I asked.

Zak nodded.

"I would like you to provoke him and get him good and pissed off," he replied, "He hated women who were strong-women who could stand up to a man. He was 103 years old when he died. I'm assuming he was one of those men who always thought a woman's place was below him. Quite literally, actually, but anyways. I think you can do this. I know how you feel about people like him."

"Oh, I think I can piss him off," I said.

Zak smiled. His hand moved up to the side of my neck, his thumb on my jaw. I couldn't read beyond the worry in his eyes, and that made me anxious.

"Are you sure you want to go ahead and do this? I'm putting you in harm's way, which is something I told you and myself I would never do," he said.

"Zak, it's alright. You guys will be around, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. But you will be shut in there by yourself for a little while until we can come in there. I promise, I'll give you a walkie-talkie. We won't leave you stranded in there," Zak said.

"You would do that to Aaron," I pointed out.

Zak laughed.

"That's Aaron, though. Not you," he said.

I looked up at him. I had no idea what that really meant, or if I should even be thinking that far into it, but it gave me a sense of closure. It was if I really meant something to Zak. I'm sure on a certain level I did, but not like how I thought of him.

"Remember to go in there with your guard up. It's essential that you stay focused. Spirits can fuck with your mind," he said.

"I will and I know," I said.

Zak removed his hand and nodded. He seemed highly apprehensive about this. It was strange. There was an episode of GA where they were in a jail and used a stranger as bait. As far as I knew, Zak was more than okay with it then. Why was he so nervous now? Was it because I was closer to him? Maybe.  
When filming began, Zak stood in front of room 320, Michael Springfield's room in which he died in, in the makeshift high security area of the hall. He was talking to the cameras, introducing me to the audience while he clipped a battery pack to the back of my jeans. I ran the mic wire up through my shirt and clipped it to my collar. Zak handed me a nightvision camera to film myself and the room with. He also ran through how to use a digital recorder and then handed me one and a walkie-talkie.

"Do you want me to do an EVP sesh?" I asked.

Zak nodded as he inspected my pack to make sure it was turned on. I didn't even know why I needed it. Maybe it was for Nick and Aaron's cameras. That's probably it, since I knew the night vision cameras had microphones on them.

"Yeah. Make sure you speak loud and clear, then leave some time for a reply," he said.

Now, I had seen him and the guys do this plenty of times, and I had also seen it done on _Ghost Lab_. So it was just a matter of mimicry.

"You ready?" Zak asked.

I nodded. Nick reached out and gave me a high-five.

"Good luck, Mikey," he said.

Aaron reached over and hugged me.

"Be careful," he said.

"I will," I said.

I walked into the room and Zak shut the door behind me.

"I'm not going to lock it but I'm going to shut it, okay?"

I nodded.

"Make sure to be aggressive. Be a total bitch if you have to. And I swear, if something bad starts happening, radio me, okay?"

I nodded. Zak reached for me, bringing me in with one arm and hugging me.

"Give him hell," he murmured into my ear.

"I will," I said.

Zak let me back away and he shut the heavy metal door. There was a little square window of bulletproof glass, but it was too high for me to see out of. I tried to listen to their dissipating footsteps, but heard nothing but the ringing in my own ears. Fuck! This room is sound proof! Should have known.  
I immediately felt a presence behind me, then above me. Michael Springfield was here. That or God. Maybe not in this room, though.  
I turned on my camera and faced it to me. I spotted a static nightvision camera placed on top of an electrical tape X in the corner of the room on the far side of the old hospital bed. I'm sure it was the same one that Michael Springfield died in, and could be a contributing factor to him haunting the home. Why the hell would they not remove it?

"Okay guys," I said to the camera, "I'm in Michael Springfield's room where he lived and died. He hated women who knew better than to take shit from a man, so Zak has asked me to come in here and draw him out. Let's see if I can piss him off."

I set my camera on a shelf, made sure I was in the frame, then backed away and began an EVP session. I tried to remember all the basic questions that Zak would usually ask.

"Is there anyone in this room with me?" I asked.

I was silent as I listened. I immediately got goosebumps on my arms.

"I have some serious goosebumps right now," I told my camera.

I knew someone was here as I prowled around the small, depressing room.

"Who is in here with me? I can feel you," I said.

I was silent again before I spoke. I decided to leave the digital recorder running on the window sill so I would not have to mess with it and it could record everything.

"Is your name Michael? Are you Michael Springfield, the man who killed and raped women?" I asked.

The room turned cold and I took it as my cue to be aggressive.

"You piece of shit. You think it's okay to do that crap? You fucking pervert! You goddamn prick!" I shouted, " You know, my name is also Michael. Does that piss you off? I heard you don't like girls who can hold their own. Let me tell you something, Springfield. This is fucking 2012. Women have rights now. Women can live without a man and they can surely stand up to one."

The was nothing but silence, so I continued.

"I'm going to tell you right now," I growled, "if I knew you when you were alive, I would have beat the living shit out of you. I don't like people like you. I would sure as shit kicked your ass."

In the corner of the room, I heard a growl.

"I just heard a growl," I said out loud, tagging it so if it was picked up on camera, one would know it wasn't me.

"Was that you, Michael? Did you just growl?"

At this moment, I was beginning to feel a little nervous and slightly light headed.

"Dammit," I cursed.

I picked up my walkie-talkie and called Zak.

"Hey, Zak?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Dude, I just got a growl. I also am starting to get the chills and I'm really dizzy," I said.

It took Zak a few seconds before he replied.

"A growl? That's good. You're drawing him out. We'll be up there in a minute," he said.

"Alright," I replied.

I put my walkie-talkie back in it's holster and looked around the room. I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"You trying to use my energy, Dick For Brains? Are you doing this, Springfield? I swear to God, if I had ever met you I would slice your balls off and hand them to you."

There was a strange beeping from the digital recorder. I walked over to check it, only to find that the battery had died.

"Great. Thanks a lot," I said, picking up the recorder and putting it my pocket.

I walked back over to the camera and looked into it.

"So my recorder just died," I said.

The walls and floor began to rock and I had to steady myself on the dresser. I kept my mind on the task at hand, but it was getting harder and harder to do. I didn't trust myself any longer.  
I suddenly felt what I could only describe as a hand running down my thigh.

"Oh hell no!" I shouted jumping away from the dresser.

My light-headedness was giving me a headache, and I was done being bait.

"Zak," I said into the walkie-talkie.

"What, Mikey?" he asked.

"I'm getting touched up here. The recorder is dead, so I hope I captured something," I said.

"We'll be right there," he said.

I groaned and shakily put my walkie-talkie back, but I missed the holster and it clattered to the floor. I didn't even bother to pick it up. The headache was spreading to my ears and neck and I had to prop myself up on the wooden dresser. I wanted to lay down, but I was trying desperately not to show weakness.

"Fucker!" I barked out.

My head throbbed at that, and I had to lay it down. I didn't know where the guys were, but I really wished they'd hurry. It did occur to me that I could leave the room, but I wanted to let Springfield's spirit gather as much energy as possible for the guys to investigate. If that meant using my energy, so be it.  
But goddammit my head hurt!

"Come on, guys," I whispered.


	16. Fight for Life

I felt instant relief wash over me when the boys opened the door. Not only did I feel relieved by their presence, but when Zak opened the door, my headache disappeared. It was as if it was never there. I was assuming the spirit of Springfield got scared and backed the hell off of me.

"Hey," Zak said, sounding relieved to see me as I was to see him, "You okay? You don't look so good."

"I feel better now. He drained the shit out of me," I said.

Aaron and Nick entered as I pushed myself off of the dresser.

"He's all your's now, guys," I said.

Zak took my arm and led my to the bed in the center of the room. We didn't sit on it, and I for one didn't want to get near it. I had been avoiding it during my provocation.  
Zak went to the center of the room and began his own EVP session. My stomach was beginning to hurt. Damn Italian food.

"Are you scared because Aaron, Nick and I are in here? You coward. Why don't you show yourself?" Zak provoked.

I moved back over to the dresser as my intestines cramped up. I knew sooner or later I would need a toilet.

"You okay, Mikey?" Nick asked.

I nodded. I just needed to go. I would have to wait, though, until I could get Billy or Jay to drive me to the McDonald's down the road.  
Zak was watching me closely, but his mind was in the EVP session.

"Why don't you touch me again? Or are you too chicken shit? Afraid the guys will kick your ass?" I provoked further.

"Michael, don't," Zak warned.

"Why the hell not? That bastard touched my thigh!" I snapped.

"Michael! I know you're pissed, but you need to stay quiet for a minute," he said.

I groaned and leaned against the dresser as the pain increasing.

"God," I breathed.

"Dude, I have the chills so bad right now!" Aaron exclaimed.

"Michael, are you alright?" Zak asked.

It then occurred to me that this pain was not gas pains or acid indigestion. It felt like I was being stabbed in the gut, and trust me, I knew what that was like. Oh, and it pissed me off to no end.

"Springfield!" I shouted, "There are three other goddamn people in this room to drain, and they have more energy than I do. Get off of me, you piece of shit!"

Nick watched me, concerned.

"Zak, she's not herself," Nick murmured.

Zak looked up at me. I felt like I usually did when I was livid.

"Mikey, come over here. Don't stay over there," Aaron said.

I unwilling pushed myself off of the dresser and walked over to the boys. The pain in my abdomen subsided some, but not quite all the way. I was beginning to get dizzy again. Zak had the thermal camera in his hands and was scanning the room.

"Michael, fight it. Focus," he encouraged.

"Do not let him break you," Nick said, authority I had never heard before in his voice.

He tried to stay in front of me, as if trying to block Springfield from getting to me. I was trying to focus, but when I looked around the faintly illuminated room, it was blurry. I crouched down like a frog and held onto Zak's jeans, pressing my head against his leg.

"Fight it," I heard Nick say again.

"Are you messing with Mikey, Springfield? Are you trying to hurt her, because it's not going to work. Not with us here," Zak said.

"Bro, I keep hearing, like heaving breathing behind me," Aaron said.

I was starting to see purple and black spots when I opened my eyes, and the dizziness increased. I felt like I was going to pass out as I wavered on my feet. I clutched Zak's jeans tighter in my fist and tried to take nice, deep breaths to even out my increasing heart rate and keep myself conscious.

"We need to get her out of here," Zak murmured.

"Holy shit! I just heard a laugh. I'm not even joking!" Nick exclaimed.

"I heard that too," was the last thing I heard from Zak.

I felt two hands yank me to the ground, causing me to fall over on to my back. The force pinned me down and I tasted rotted nothing in my mouth. I screamed when I discovered I couldn't open my eyes. I could feel cold fingernails digging into my arms as the rotted taste became stronger in my mouth. I could hear laughing, but it was neither Zak's, Nick's, or Aaron's, but another man. I felt rough hands grasp my face for only seconds before the turned soft and the laughing gave way to Zak's voice.

"Michael, snap out of it. Come back to me," he said.

His voice echoed in my ears as if we were standing in an airplane hangar.

"Mikey, Mikey, Mikey," echoed over and over again.

I screamed, scared from not being able to see him. A voice took over for Zak, and I wondered if I had even speaking to the real Zak at all.

"You're worthless. You mean nothing to this world. You are scum. You are a heathen. A witch. A wench," repeated over and over and over, manipulating my mind into believing I was.

How easy it was for me to believe, since I had heard this all before. I reached my arms out, clawing my way back to reality in search of Zak. I screamed his name.

"Michael, let it go. Don't let him take you," I heard him say.

Suddenly, a pain a thousand times worse than any period cramps shot through my lower abdomen, all around where normal cramps would be, and down into my feet. It throbbed within me over and over. I screamed bloody murder. There was no relief, and I honestly thought I was going to die like this.

"Michael!" I heard Zak shout.

I felt like I was bleeding from the inside out, but my blood was made of glass. The cramps from hell finally ceased, but my entire body was wracked with twisting muscle spasms that again, had me screaming. I lost my control over my mouth and mind.

"Zak!" I cried out.

Something dark was moving through me, and I tried to call out for him to save me. Throw Holy Water on me. Exercise me. Something! But none of that came out.

"Zak, I'm worthless. I should have never been born," I said, tears spilling down my face.

My eyes finally opened to see Zak, but everything was black and white and his face was the only one I saw. He had tears in his eyes.

"No, that's not true, Michael, sweetheart. That's not true. Don't believe that bullshit," he said.

"I am a useless whore," I said.

"No, Michael. Let him out. Fight, Michael. Fight for your life!" Zak said.

I could feel his hands holding mine. It spooked the spirit taking me over, and I regained some mental and physical control.

"In the name of God, get out of me!" I cried.

"Useless. Worthless," whispered around me.

"Michael, release from this. Do not leave us. Don't leave me. I love you, Michael," I heard Zak cry out.

"_God? Someone? Anyone! Help me_!" I thought.

Suddenly, it was gone. I was back. Zak was over me, his hands cupping my face. It was evident that tears had been shed, and I had never seen so much terror in his eyes.

"Zak?" I whispered.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Move!" I growled.

He looked confused. I pushed him by the shoulder, knocking him over. I scrambled to my feet and tore off for the end of the hall by the stairs. I had spotted a trashcan there, and it was about to be my bitch. I could hear Zak hot on my heels. When I made it to the little waste bin, I literally fell to my knees, snatching it up and burying my face in the plastic liner, puking up everything. Zak had my hair pulled behind my head, but I was sure I had gotten some puke in it.  
When I was done, I couldn't move.

"Let's go, Mikes," he said.

I reached my arms around his neck and he picked me up, one arm under my back and the other in the crook of my legs. Bridal style, I guess. He took me out to the van and gave me his water he had from earlier in the afternoon. I gladly drank it and he got my TUMS out of my bag. I chewed two of them and then a piece of gum. The rotten taste in my mouth had left when Zak's voice came through during the...possession? Anyways, barf covered up any taste in my mouth, so I was trying to mint it up with mint flavored TUMS and gum.  
I was shaking as Zak sat me down on in the back of the van next to the equipment cases. He said nothing as he tended to me and anointed me with emergency holy oil. I felt more like myself as he blessed me, and my stomach settled. I felt gross. I knew what had happened. I had been raped by a ghost, and it was a million times worse than I imagined a real one to be.  
Zak took a blanket and wrapped me in it before sitting beside me and cradling me as he had did in the hallway when my mother disowned me over the phone.

"Michael, I'm so sorry," Zak whispered, upset.

"Zak, don't blame yourself," I croaked out.

"It is my fault, though. I should have been the one to provoke him. I shouldn't have let that happen," he said.

My heart broke for him. I had never heard Zak sound so upset, especially with himself.

"I broke my promise to you. To never let anyone hurt you," he whispered.

I turned to face him.

"Zak, you can't save me from everything. Especially not from the unseen forces. You have no control over that stuff," I said.

I reached my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest.

"I don't care," he argued, being stubborn.

I changed the subject.

"Did I hear everything you said, or was it all a figment of possession?" I asked.

Zak rested his chin on top of my head.

"I told Springfield to let you go. I begged you to come back. I told you to fight it. I..." Zak trailed off.

"What is it?" I asked.

Zak breathed heavily. I pulled back to look at him. He watched me for a moment before smiling warmly. My heart skipped when his hand reached up to hold my face. There was a brief pause where my brain forgot to comprehend the world and when it restarted, Zak's lips had crashed into mine. Any dark residue on me was gone, light filling in any damage caused by anyone who had ever hurt me. The school girl in me squeal and it was at that moment I realized that any love my exes ever confessed to me was nothing. Zak could express it in nothing more than intimate touching.  
He pulled back and pressed his forehead to mine as his fingers laced with mine.

"I love you, Mikey," he breathed.

I have found my missing piece.

"Zak," I said shakily, trying to hold back any sort of emotional breakdown.

"Baby, don't cry," he whispered.

And then I did. He knew I was going to before I did. I reached my arms around his neck as he pulled me up into his lap.

"I love you so much," I cried into his neck.

I bunched his shirt up in my fists. I didn't want to ever leave his embrace. I was back in my safe place. No one was going to take it away from me. No one!

"Do you want to continue? I have to continue this investigation, but I don't want to leave you," he said.

"Make Billy do it," I said, "I can't leave you."

Zak laughed and kissed my cheek. Nick, Aaron and Patch were definitely right.


	17. Forget the Ghosts

Three days later. Victoria, BC, Canada. End of filming dinner.

"Aaron's Vlog," Aaron said into his camera, "I can't find Nick anywhere!"

Aaron was snooping around the hotel hallways in search of Nick, or anyone from the crew, for that matter. But no one was around.

"Maybe they're all downstairs in the lobby," Aaron said to himself.

He made his way down to the elevator and pressed the down button beside the door. He was hoping that maybe someone on the crew was coming up. However, the door just opened to a little old lady with a cane. Aaron politely said hello to her and went on his way to the lobby.  
In the lobby, Aaron saw a strange person crouched in front of one of the windows wearing a safari hat.

"What the hell?" Aaron asked.

He approached the guy with his camera still rolling. When the guy heard Aaron approach, he turned and grinned.

"Bro, what are you doing?" Aaron asked.

Nick giggled.

"Get down! They'll see you!" Nick said, reaching up to tug on Aaron's jacket sleeve.

Aaron crouched down beside Nick.

"Are you doing an Aaron's Vlog?" Nick asked.

Aaron nodded. He noticed Nick had his phone pointed to the window and his camera application was open.

"Are you doing a Nick Vlog?" Aaron asked.

Nick shook his head.

"Nope, just recording," he replied.

Aaron's eyes moved up to the hat on Nick's head.

"Where did you get that hat?" Aaron asked, laughing.

Nick grinned.

"Gift shop at the zoo in New York. The one we went to last year," Nick replied.

Aaron laughed.

"You've had that all this time?" Aaron asked.

Nick smiled and nodded.

"Wow, Nick. So what are we doing?"

Nick looked into Aaron's camera.

"Are you recording?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, man," Aaron replied.

"Okay," Nick said, then cleared his throat and got into character.

"Aaron's Vlog! We're out 'ere on location in Canada, filming two strange creatures together out in the wild. Look!" Nick said in his best Australian accent.

Aaron pointed his camera out the window.

"Crikey! Out there are some beauties. Look at them, mate!" Nick said.

Outside, Michael and Zak could be seen standing out in the parking lot.

"Are you couple watching?" Aaron asked.

Nick laughing.

"That's right, mate. We got a big o' bloke out there with a little, fiesty sheila!" Nick said.

"Oh, I see them! I see them!" Aaron said, getting in on Nick's little role-playing.  
They watched as Zak took Michael's hand and led her out of the parking lot.

"Bloody hell!" Nick exclaimed, "They're on the move. Let's go!"

Nick jumped up to his feet. Aaron looked up at him like he had lost his mind.

"I don't think Steve Irwin ever said 'bloody hell.' I'm pretty sure that's a British phrase," Aaron said, standing back up.

Nick glared at him.

"Fine, then," he said, "Crikey! Let's go!"

Aaron laughed and followed Nick outside.

Xxx

It was gorgeous outside. You know a day is beautiful when not only is the temperature and the wind speed perfect, but when it smells nice. I had been busy in my hotel room editing and turning in photos from our last lockdown when Zak called me and told me to come outside for a little bit. I really needed to work, but I decided I would just stay up late and work on the pictures later.  
When I walked outside, I was so happy that I didn't stay in my room. It was warm here in Victoria, around the low 70's, which is strange for early November. The air was a tad bit humid, which slowed the boys down quite a bit. They didn't like humid weather, but being from Oklahoma, I was used to it. The sun was lowering in the west, and the sky was streaked with vapor trails from airplanes. The air smelled of ocean, which I personally hated, but also smelled of pine. It was like northern Florida. I'm sure Zak was in heaven, being a Florida kid.  
I found Zak standing in the parking lot, just looking around with this serene look on his face. His bronzed skin (which I hated on everyone, but he rocked the look) nearly glowed in the sunlight. He was wearing long black shorts, which was a surprise, his red Jordan's, a red t-shirt, and his black rimmed glasses. I, among many other people, loved seeing him in glasses. He didn't like them, but I thought they made him look really nice. His jet black hair (that he dyed, for the love, I don't know why) was spiked up in his signature fin. In my opinion, it was the best style for him. His previous ones, no! No, no, no.  
He had his arms crossed over his chest as he looked around. I walked over to him, approaching from behind. When he turned to me and smiled, my chest tightened. He was gorgeous (and he knew it), but what I got a high from was that I got to enjoy it every single day-now on a more intimate level. Nick was right about things turning around for me. I would have to tell him that he was right and I shouldn't have doubted either him or Aaron.

"And the dead walks!" Zak said playfully.

"You know they do," I said, playing along.

Zak took my hands and leaned down to kiss me on the forehead.

"Were you busy working on pictures?" he asked.

"Kinda, sorta, yeah," I said, shrugging, "I can do them later."  
Zak smiled at me.

"Mikey, there's something I want to do, but I don't wanna do it by myself," he said.

I hooked arms with him and laid my head on his shoulder.

"What's that?" I asked.

Zak looked up. I turned my head in the same direction and spotted a small playground across the street, equipped with slides, a jungle gym, a large swing set, and teeter-totters.

"Go to the park with me?" Zak asked, "There's no one there."

"Oh my God!" I laughed.

"Just for a little bit. I haven't seen you hardly all day," he said innocently.

I looked up at him and smiled.

"Let's go, big boy," I said, taking his hand and leading him across the parking lot.

Zak grinned like a little kid who had discovered the biggest present under the tree was theirs. We walked across the street at the intersection and Zak booked it to the tallest slide. Can you imagine this? A 35 year old man running to play on the slides? I was laughing.  
Zak climbed up the slides, but froze at the top.

"Um...Mikey?"

Okay, this slide was huge.

"I'm coming," I said.

I climbed up the ladder and walked across the narrow landing to Zak.

"It looked shorter from the ground," he confessed.

I looked down at the woodchip bed.

"It's not that high, Zak," I said.

Zak groaned. I squeezed around him.

"Come sit over here on the slide. I'll go down with you," I said.

Truth was, I didn't like spiral slides. Once when I was little, my cousin went down with me on one that was not built right and we fell out of it in the middle. Tunnel ones were even worse. Good thing this one was not.  
I sat down and Zak scooted in behind me, legs around me. He reached his large arms around me and pulled me up into his lap.  
"Hold on. I don't want to go down just yet," he said.

He held me around the torso and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"I need a new wallpaper," was his excuse.

I laughed as he held the phone out in front of us.

"Send one to me?" I asked.

"Sure, babe. Smile," he said.

Zak perched his chin on my shoulder and took the picture. We took several like that so we wouldn't have just one that may or may not have come out wrong. Photographer's and ghost hunter's rule numero uno, take several pictures. My favorite picture was the one I took. Zak had both arms wrapped around my neck as he kissed my cheek. He almost had his entire face smashed into my cheek. My face was hilarious, since I was laughing while taking the picture. I demanded that he send me that one. Now, all of this seems really corny and teenager-ish, but I never got to experience cutesy crap like this. Not with Graham, who would have rather taken more inappropriate photos, and certainly not with Andrew, who barely even wanted to be seen with me in public. Zak could have cared less.

"Love you," he said, his voice muffled in the crook of my neck.

I turned to face him, only to have lips collide with mine.

"Love you, too, Zak," I said when we broke away from each other.

Zak smiled and hugged me. He was still feeling troubled by what had happened the other night with the ghost, but I couldn't even bring myself to dwell upon it. I was way too happy.

"You wanna go down?" he asked.

"Don't let go," I said.

"Wouldn't even think about," he said.

Zak pushed off and we went barreling down the slide, both of us laughing like little kids. Later, we made it over to the swings after playing Tag, of all things. I could never catch him, but he always caught me. We finally made it to the swings. When I sat down on mine, I was surprised when Zak did not sit down beside me, but moved behind me.

"Grab the chains, Mikey," he said.

I did as I was told and felt him grab the chains and pull me back. I swung forward and when I came back, he gently nudged me, making me swing higher.

"Can't do this with Gracie," he said.

I burst out laughing, just imagining him stuff that poor dog in one of the little kid's swings. Zak began pushing me higher and higher, and I was quickly reminded of the time one of my cousins swung all the way over, fell out and broke his arm.

"Okay, Zak. Too high," I called.

It wasn't really _that_ high, but it was too high to jump out of, and I wanted to jump.

"Sorry, Mikes," he said.

When I came back down, he didn't push so I slowed down some. When the swing slowed down, I wait until I swung out again and then flung myself out. Zak scolded me as I attempted to Big Step while airborne, then landed crouched down.

"Michael, don't do that," Zak said as he sat in his own swing.

I got up and walked over to the swing beside him. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and went to my music. Elton John sounded like a good idea, so I clicked on "Bennie and the Jets." I leaned backward in my swing and fell out, landing gently on my back with my legs still in the swing. I crossed my feet and began singing along. Zak fell out of his swing backwards and rolled over to lay next to me. We said nothing as we watched the clouds, or at least, until Zak started singing.

"You know I read it in a magaziIIINE!" Zak screeched.

I laughed and joined in.

"Buh-buh-buh Bennie and the Jets," we sang.

Zak giggled and laced his fingers with mine. We laid in the woodchips singing along, or humming when we didn't know the words, until a loud snap and what sounded like a sneeze came from the wooded area behind the merry-go-round. Zak sat straight up and spun around.

"What?" I asked, quickly pressing Pause.

"What the fuck was that?" Zak asked.

I looked over at the bushes and stuffed my phone back into my pocket. There was only silence. Zak stood to his feet and listening carefully to our surroundings. I pushed my self up out of the woodchips and brushed them off my sleeves and butt.  
There was murmuring within the bushes, then an "oomph." Zak moved and arm out and held me back.

"There's someone out there," Zak said monotonously.

It could have been anyone, or even an animal. Maybe there was a hiking trail in there that we didn't know about. However, I did know that this was a nice area of town, but at a park in not only a strange town, but a strange country, you never know.  
Suddenly, the bushes rustled violently. I grabbed Zak's arm and we took several steps back. I was ready to bolt when Aaron and Nick jumped out of the bushes, equipped with their cameras and a line of extension cord. Nick looked like an idiot wearing this greenish-gray hat and Aaron was in khaki shorts and his equipment vest.

"Crikey, mate! We found 'im!" Nick yelled in an Australian accent.

"Ah, fuck!" Zak snapped.

"They're playing Crocodile Hunter!" I said excitedly.

Zak glared at me as if to say "Don't you even..."

"Aaron! You go after the li'l sheila and I'll get that big bloke over there!" Nick said, pointing to me and then Zak.

"Got it!" Aaron said.

They split off. Zak and I ran out of the playground. Nick jumped Zak and tackled him, causing Zak to shout and scream at him. Aaron caught me and slung me over his shoulder.

"Aaron!" I screamed.

"I caught her!" Aaron shouted victoriously.

"No time for 'er, mate!" Nick shouted, "Come help me with this one!"

Aaron put me down and laughed.

"Come on, Mikey," he said.

We ran back over to Nick and Zak. Zak was harder to take down that a calf, and the only way the boys got him down was to knock his feet out from under him. In mid-fall, Aaron caught Zak and took him down. Nick sat on top of Zak's back and Aaron held his legs down.

"Mikey! Take this cord!" Aaron called to me, throwing me the wrapped up orange line.

I caught it.

"Tie up his legs!" Nick shouted.

I ran over and loosely wrapped the cord around his thick legs as he kicked and shouted.

"Motherfucking get the hell off of me!" Zak shouted.

"We got it! We did it!" Nick shrieked.

We rolled Zak onto his back. He looked pissed.

"You mad, bro?" Nick asked.

"Shut up!" Zak spat.  
I came around to his head and pinned him down by the shoulders.

"Oh, 'e's a beauty, ain't 'e?" I said in my best Australian accent.

"Oh my gosh!" Aaron laughed, "That's a really good voice!"

"You should do voice acting, Mikes," Nick suggested.

I just grinned at them. I thought it sounded more Cockney than anything, but whatever.

"I see how it is, Michael," Zak said.

I looked back down at him biting his bottom lip, a devious look in his eyes.

"Oh, loosen up," I retorted.

Zak stuck his tongue out at me.

The sun was beginning to dip, and it was already 7:00. We had dinner reservations for the end of the season dinner, so we decided to untie Zak and head to the rental Suburban. Just in time too, because I was starving!  
Before leaving for dinner, Aaron caught up with me in the hall and Nick ambushed me as I passed his room.

"Michael, we need to talk to you," Nick said, sounding so serious that it worried me.

"What's wrong?" I asked as they surrounded me.

"We gotta ask you something. Come in here," Nick said.

Nick took me by the arm and led me into his room. Aaron followed behind me and closed the doors. I got this really scary feeling when I came in.

"Guys, stop it. What's going on?" I asked, beginning to panic.

Nick tackled him into a hug. I wasn't quite sure how to react.

"I'm so happy for you!" he said.

"When did you plan on telling us?" Aaron asked.

"Telling you what?" I squeaked.

"About Zak!" Nick exclaimed.

"Billy said you guys were together now," Aaron said.

"Oh my gosh! Are you guys _dating_?" Nick gushed.

I sighed in relief.

"Don't fucking do that! You guys scared the piss out of me!" I exclaimed.

The boys laughed.

"Sorry, Mikey," Aaron said.

"Sooo?" Nick asked.

I really actually didn't know the most accurate answer for them, but together? Yes.

"He yo boyfran?" Aaron asked.

I groaned.

"I-uh, yeah," I said.

That sounded really weird in my mind. Oh, this was going to take some getting used to. Aaron and Nick squealed and glomped me.

"You guys were right. I should have believed you," I said.

Aaron gave me a squeeze.

"You had every reason not to," he murmured.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "We don't blame you."

Aaron fake sniffed and cried.

"Our little ones are growing up!" he said, making Nick and I laugh.

Xxx

The restaurant was nothing really fancy, just a seafood joint on the boardwalk. Apparently, it was a favorite among tourists, so the boys decided that the place was perfect. Me? I was not big on seafood. I'd eat it, but I would much rather have Chinese or Italian, but that's just me.  
The thing with traveling and going to places with these boys is that sometimes we blended in, and sometimes we didn't. As far as I knew, the boys had never been on the west coast of Canada, so fans had never experienced them being here. Let's just say, once one girl recognized Zak, they flocked. We were walking along the boardwalk when it happened. A girl on the large side, dyed black hair cut in a bob and purple eyeshadow approached us with a friend who was really tall, and a little more on the athletic side. They didn't attack or anything. Trust me, if they had, I would be in the middle of them. However, when "Ghost Adventures" was mentioned, more and more kids and adults alike came over to us.  
I didn't get recognized, which was fine with me. I hung out with Billy while the boys took pictures, shook hands, and signed things. We were getting really close to being late, but the boys would not stop until they at least said hello to everyone. It made me proud to be a part of the Crew. You don't see band members, actors, or actresses doing that. Well, some, but not like the boys.

"Are you Michael?" a shy voice came from behind me.

I spun around to see the same girl with the bob standing behind me. I felt my cheeks suddenly burn. I wasn't that great with people I didn't know. Even with people younger than me. When I first met the guys in person, I could not for the life of me make myself talk.

"Um, yeah," I said, scratching the back of my head nervously.

I made myself be polite and mimicked the guys. I held my hand out and the girl nervously shook it.

"Hi, I'm Gentry. I love your photos. I'm trying to be a photographer, too. And my friend and I follow the blog closely. You're so funny," Gentry said.

I smiled.

"Thank-you so much," I said, "I really appreciate it. Like, that makes my day to hear that."

Gentry smiled.

"And I love, love, love your clothes! And your hair, it's so pretty," she commented.

I clicked into what I like to call "Girl Mode." I had not had girl talk with any female anywhere near my age since high school. It was so strange for me.

"Thank-you, I'm really diggin' your shirt," I said, pointing out the Addams Family logo across her chest.

She was one of those teenage girls that made it obvious they shopped at Hot Topic and Hot Topic-like stores, but she was nice, so I was cool.  
We spoke for a little bit. We discussed the Dunlap Mansion episode and the Maizy Theatre before Billy tugged on my jacket sleeve.

"Time to go, Mikey," he said.

"Drat! Can I get a picture really quick?" Gentry asked.

I smiled.

"Sure," I said.

We took a quick few shots with her phone before I wished her good luck on her photography dream. She thanked me and we said goodbye before I rejoined the guys. So far, this has been a really good day.

Xxx

"Aaron's vlah! Aaron's vlah!" Zak sang as Aaron pulled his phone out.

"Aaron's Vlog," Aaron said.

We were sitting at a large round table drinking and waiting on our food.

"We're out partying it up in Canada. Our last lockdown is tomorrow," Aaron said.

All of us whooped and hollered.

"It's been really fun but I'm ready to get on home," Aaron said.

Aaron continued talking while we chatted amongst ourselves. The boys, excluding Aaron and Zak had beers. Nick was on his second and starting to get goofy. He was cracking me up.  
When our orders came, we all had to examine each other's food.

"Michael!" Billy shouted.

Oh Lord. I had never witnessed Billy tipsy.

"What?" I shouted back playfully.

"Michael, stop yelling. Billy calm down," Zak said.

"Zak, shut the hell up!" Nick said and tossed a cracker across the table.

Zak picked the cracker back up and flicked it at Nick. I turned and grabbed Zak's side. He jumped and squealed, causing all the guys to roar with laughter.

"Goddammit!" Zak cursed.

"Zak, stop!" Aaron said in a mocking tone that resembled Zak's bossy tone.

"Mikey!" Billy squealed.

"What?" I asked in my best Rooster Cogburn voice (_True Grit_.)

"Whatchoo got there?" he asked in his own hick accent.

"Steak and shrimple-kabobs," I replied.

"Goddamn, girl!" he shouted.

The guys and I laughed.

"You got steak?" Zak asked.

I turned to him and nodded.

"What did you order?" I asked.

Zak pointed down to his pile of crab claws.

"Ugh," Jay said, "Puss breath."

I squeaked from laughing so hard.

"Aaron, hit him," Zak ordered.

Aaron smacked Jay with the back of his hand.

"Do **NOT** use that language at the table!" Zak scolded, pointing a finger at Jay.

Billy, Nick and I were almost on top of each other, laughing our asses off.

"Alright, alright guys," Aaron said loud enough to talk over us, "I have something I want to say, if I may."

"You may," all of us said in unison.

Billy snorted at this and Nick cackled with laughter.

"Oh my God. No more alcohol for you two," Aaron said.

"Sorry, bro. Go ahead," Nick said, wiping his eyes.

"Okay," Aaron said.

He backed up from the table and lifted his glass of tea.

"I want to make a toast, except I might do it wrong, so forgive me," he began.

We all held our glasses up.

"What are we toasting, bro?" Zak asked.

"We are toasting," Aaron said in his announcer's voice, "this amazing season, our fantastic evidence, and I would like to toast that addition of Mikey on this last leg of the season."

I looked up at Aaron, shocked.

"Michael, without you, we would never have gotten some of the evidence we got and the blog would have never been so successful. Plus, you are the best unofficial ghost hunter and the best damn photographer we've ever had. And Zak is damn lucky to have you."

Zak wrapped an arm around me and leaned over to kiss me. The boys whooped and hollered, causing a scene.

"To Michael and Zak!" Nick said.

"And to the final lockdown of the season," Aaron added.

We all clinked our glasses and Zak kissed me again. A new book was now open for me, and I was never turning back. If this was my future, with these great guys and Zak, I was ready for it.


	18. Home again, home again

I walked into my hotel room and propped the door open. We were getting ready to go do interviews and we were running a little late. I grabbed my camera bag and pulled out several of my cameras, then went over to all of the room's plug-ins and pulled out the chargers. I then replaced the batteries in the cameras and slipped them back into their cases.  
My phone began to ring and I just let it. I was way too busy getting things packed and trying to remember everything. When it immediately rang again, I went into the bathroom and pulled it off of the charger. I didn't recognize the number, but it had an Arkansas area code.

"What the hell?" I asked.

I answered the call.

"Hello?" I asked as I jogged back into the bedroom to finish getting ready to go.

"Is this Michael Wilde?" a man on the other line asked.

I swear, if this was a telemarketer!

"This is she," I replied.

Oh shit! Was this my old boss?

"Miss Wilde, this is the Fayetteville Police Department. What is your relation with a Ms. Patch Wilde Rosson?" the man asked.

Shit!

"She's my great-aunt. Is something wrong?" I asked.

If she got her ass arrested, I couldn't come down there and bail her out. I was in Canada, for crying out loud.

"Are you her only family?" the man asked.

"That lives in Arkansas with her, yes. Why?" I asked.

"You were the only name on her living will, Miss Wilde. I regret to inform you that there was an accident out on the Fullbright Expressway last night. We need you to come in and identify the body," he said.

My heart raced and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"_Come on, Michael, speak_!" I thought to myself.

"Um, o-o-okay. How soon do you need me there. I'm working in Canada right now," I explained.

"As soon as possible, Miss Wilde," he replied.

I put my hand on my forehead, trying to focus.

"Alright, thank-you," I said.

I ended the call and dropped my phone on the bed. I felt like I was going to collapse. I hugged myself, trying to keep myself from losing my composure. I wondered when my luck would run out.  
It turned and sat down on the bed, not believing what I had just heard. Aunt Patch, the best woman ever to be in my life, was gone. What made it worse was how unfeeling the man, whom I'm assuming was a cop, was. I guess he was used to it.  
But what the hell was Patch doing on the Expressway? Was she driving, or was it someone else? Was she under the influence of alcohol, or pot. She had had a habit of smoking pot on occasion. God!  
What did I have to go home to now?

"Michael, come on. We're loading," I heard Zak say.

I didn't move. I heard him enter my room.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" he asked.

I looked up at him.

"I just a call from the police department at home," I said.

Zak was immediately worried.

"What happened?" he asked.

I shook my head, tears spilling freely. Zak rushed over to me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Baby, what happened? What's wrong?" he asked.

"P-Patch," I stammered, "She's gone."

Zak went rigid.

"What? No!"

I nodded and looked up at him.

"She got in an accident. They want me to come identify the body. Zak, I can't go down there," I said.

Ghosts don't scare me. Blood and guts doesn't scare me and bones sure don't scare me.

...but bodies? I couldn't do it. Bodies made me vomit. Like, immediately vomit when I saw one.

"Michael, you have to. You were all she had, right?" he asked.

I nodded into his chest.

"Then, you have to go," he said.

I inhaled sharply and just broke down.

"I'll have to go catch the next fly to Dallas or Tulsa or something. Or L.A. However that works," I rambled.

Zak rubbed my back in little circles. I heard a deep rumbling as he groaned.

"Yeah, you'll have to head out tonight and miss the lockdown," he said.

"Great," I said sarcastically.

I punched myself in the knee in frustration.

"Dammit! I just spoke with her the other day! She was fine! Why does this shit happen to me?"

"Mikey, shit happens. We just have to learn to deal," Zak said, trying to make me feel better.

It didn't work. There would be no more phone calls. No more trips to the Ugly Sweater festival to see the latest indie bands. No more anything. And we were going to come to Vegas in December! And what about Thanksgiving? I was alone this time.  
I lost my shit and bawled into Zak's chest. He held me tightly and was silent.

"I really don't want you going back home alone," Zak said softly.

I didn't reply.

"No," he finally decided, "there's no way I'm letting you deal with this by yourself."

I looked up at him.

"What?" I asked.

Zak stood up and looked around my room. I could see the gears in his mind spinning-thinking.

"Pack up. I'm going to with you," he said.

I jumped to my feet.

"Zak, no! You have a season finale to film. They can't do it without you," I said.

"Then we'll cancel," Zak said.

Was I hearing him right? Zak Bagans canceling an episode of GA?

"Zak, no. I'll go by myself and take care of it. You guys can do the show without me," I said.

I didn't want to go by myself. I had flight anxiety, and I never ever went without somebody I knew.

"I've already made up my mind, Mikey," he said.

Great. He meant that, too. There would be no reasoning with him.

"Well-" I couldn't think of anything to say, so I huffed.

"Let me go talk to the guys, alright? I'll go arrange our flight and everything," he said.

I just sighed in defeat and nodded. Zak stepped up to me, cupped my face and kissed the top of my head.  
I shuddered as I tried to hold back another sob.

"Leave this all to me, babe," he said.

I nodded as he left. I turned away from the doorway as he exited and began to pack.

Xxx

Zak stalked down the hallway and was about to knock on Aaron's hotel room door, but he stopped himself. How was he going to tell them what was going on? Never had he missed an investigation. Had to pause or leave one early, yes, but never miss one.  
Zak softly knocked on Aaron's door. Aaron opened the door and seemed surprised that such a soft knock came from Zak.

"Hey, bro. What's up?" Aaron asked.

"We need to have an emergency meeting," Zak said.

Zak watched Aaron's curious expression morph into worry.

"Oh! Um, sure. Where at?" he asked.

Zak quickly thought, but just settled on meeting in the lobby of the hotel.

"Lobby. Quickly," Zak replied.

"Sure thing. Want me to go get Nick?" Aaron offered.

Zak shook his head.

"Just yourself," he said.

Aaron nodded.

"I'll be right down," he said.

Zak left it at that and went to go get the rest of the crew. They all met in the lobby and stood around until Zak finally came down. They all looked at him anxiously. They noticed he was unusually tense.

"Okay, guys. We have a problem," Zak announced.

The Crew gathered around Zak.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"Michael just got a call. She has to fly back home immediately," he said.

"What happened?" Billy asked.

Zak held a hand out, making the guys stop talking.

"If she wants to tell you, she will. The thing is, I told her I was going to go with her. She doesn't need to go back there alone," he said.

Billy opened his mouth to argue, but resorted to just shutting it. Aaron looked up sadly at Zak.

"Dude, you never miss an investigation," Nick said quietly.

Zak closed his eyes, trying to keep himself from getting upset.

"I know, but this is more important. I'm sorry."

"Is Mikey okay?" Aaron asked.

"She's really shook up right now, Aaron."

"Is there anything we can do?" Nick asked.

Zak shook his head.

"No, but you guys need to make a decision. Cancel or go on without me?"

Aaron shook his head.

"Zak, what happened?" he asked.

Zak grunted in frustration.

"Her Aunt Patch, the only family she had close by, she passed away. Now, you don't know I told you that," Zak said.

Shock crossed the crew's faces.

"That's why I'm going, so she doesn't have to be alone," he continued.

Billy pulled Zak into a brotherly hug.

"Then go with her. We'll handle things here," Billy said.

Zak patted Billy on the back.

"Thanks, Bill," he said.

"You need to be there for her," Billy went on.

Zak pulled away and nodded.

"Bro, let's call the network and everyone and cancel," Nick said, mainly to Aaron.

Aaron nodded in agreement.

"We'll shut everything down and go, too," Nick said.

"I'll make an online announcement for the fans," Aaron said.

"Jay and I will head on back to Vegas and get things taken care of on the business end," Billy said.

"You guys would do all that?" Zak asked in disbelief.

"She's our little sis, bro. We're all in this together," Aaron said.

Zak smiled. He gave Nick and Aaron a hug at the same time. Billy and Jay followed suit, making a large group hug.

"Were do we need to go? Arkansas, I know," Nick said.

"Fayetteville," Zak replied.

Nick nodded.

"We'll get to the airport as soon we can," Aaron said.

"Thank-you, guys. I know Mikey will appreciate it. I don't know how long we'll be stuck down there, though," Zak said.

Aaron shook his head and put his hand on Zak's shoulder.

"Doesn't matter. Go upstairs and pack. We'll see you two soon," Aaron said.

Zak nodded and turned to go back up stairs. He feared this night's lockdown would be long. He had no idea that the journey to Arkansas would be even longer.

Xxx

I was silent throughout our entire trip home. Zak would speak to me, but replies would be head movements or "mhmms" or "nuh-uhs" and the occasion "okay." I didn't know what was wrong with me. I had completely shut down. It's like when you put an airplane on autopilot or a car on cruise control. I was going through the motions but my mind was shut off.  
We landed in Tulsa, OK around 8:00 the next evening. A flight got delayed because of a storm and completely threw off our schedule. When we got to Tulsa International, a storm had moved in through Oklahoma and was heading straight into Arkansas. It was freezing here, and I knew it wouldn't take long for the rain to turn into sleet.  
Being familiar with the airport, I led Zak through it. My trance was broken when I looked at the weather on my phone. It was time to get down to business. We had a good two hour drive ahead of us and no time hang around.  
I dragged Zak outside and down to the rental car place. Zak squeaked when the cold wind hit us.

"It's freezing here!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, weather is kind of backwards right now," I said.

It was the most I had said in the passed 32 hours.

"I had no idea Oklahoma was this cold!" he said.

I had to smile at that.

"This is Tulsa. It's always a bit colder than the rest of Oklahoma. But, Zak, we're heading up to Arkansas. I hate to tell you, but it's colder there," I said.

Zak sighed.

"Well, what are we doing?" he asked.

"Going to go see if we can rent a truck," I replied.

"A truck? What about a car? It's cheaper," Zak suggested.

I stopped walking and shook my head.

"Zak, I live in the hills. Look at that sky," I said, pointing up.

Zak looked up and blinked at the dark, unforgiving clouds above that were starting to spit rain.

"This won't stay rain for long. A car won't make it on those roads. I have to get something with four-wheel drive," I said.

My truck was at home, and I really wished I had it at this moment.

"I hope they have something like that," Zak said as we continued walking.

This was Oklahoma. They should. But I really wished they had a truck, or maybe an SUV with all-wheel drive. If not, we would have to get a hotel and I would have to call my dad to come take us to an Enterprise that had what we needed. Dammit, I really didn't want to do that!

"Hello, how may I help you?" the man at the rental place counter asked when we approached.

"Michael, let me pay for it," Zak whispered.

"No!" I hissed, "Do you guys have anything with four-wheel drive available?"

The man checked the computer.

"Yes, ma'am. We have a Chevy Silverado and a Ford Expedition available. You guys on vacation?" he asked.

Oh, shut up!

"Not exactly," I replied.

The guy shrugged. He was trying to be all funny and cute, but when he looked up at Zak, he backed off. I looked at Zak to see him have his eyes narrowed at the man. I wanted to laugh. He was a little terrifying.

"I'll take the Silverado," I told him.

"Are you sure? The Ford is a 2012 model. We just got it brand new," he said.

"What are you? A car salesman?" Zak spat.

Okay, he was irritated and cold, so I understood, but dammit.

"Zak, calm down," I said softly, pushing him against his chest.

He backed down. I turned to the rental guy.

"Look, buddy. I don't need a big fancy SUV. What's wrong with the truck?" I asked.

"Nothing, ma'am. It's just a 2009 model. Not as many bells and whistles," he shrugged.

"Good. The older, the better," I said.

Because I can work on it if it just happens to break down.

"Alright, ma'am. I will need a credit card," he said.

Before I could even dig mine out, Zak handed the man his.

"Zak!"

"Don't worry about it, sweetie," he said.

My shoulders dropped. The man scanned Zak's card and handed it back to him.

"Okay, right this way," the man said, digging out the keys to the truck.

He led us around into the car garage to a big bright red Silverado.

"Let me go ahead with a mandatory check to make sure everything is in order and then you two may be on your way. Now, there are no smoking in our vehicles and-"

"Well, we don't smoke," Zak said coldly.

The guy looked warily at Zak.

"Yes, well, um, okay," and the guy continued with his check before Zak signed off on the lease.

We finally were able to load up and leave. I was so glad to be out of there. It was a straight shot to Siloam Springs, then Springdale and then a drop down to Fayetteville. Even though I didn't want to go home, I was happy about seeing Arkansas again.

Xxx

"Oh, God, Mikey! You're going to kill me," Zak moaned as I sped up and down the rolling hills outside of Fayetteville. I lived just 25 minutes outside of town in the hills, and I was trying to hurry. It was dark, raining, and we passed through nothing but towering trees.

"Do I need to pull over? You need to puke?" I asked.

I had completely forgotten about how Zak got carsick. It was easy to do here-front or backseat. I always had to drive when I was here to prevent myself from getting motion sickness.  
Zak groaned and rubbed his stomach through his jacket.

"No, I'm okay," he said.

Good thing, because there was really no where to pull over.

"You sure?" I asked.

Zak nodded. He didn't look so good.

"Just don't go so-"

I flew down a hill and traveled back up, causing that zero gravity feeling in the truck. Zak groaned.

"fast down a hill," he finished.

I looked over at him. I felt really bad. I knew what it was like to be in his position.

"Zak, I'm sorry. I gotta beat this sleet. If we don't, we're going to have a hell of a time getting to the house. My driveway is really steep," I explained.

Zak nodded, looking back out the window. I reached over and put my hand on his arm. Zak looked over at me reached him to hold my hand.

"I know," he said quietly.

I turned off the street onto a dirt road and barreled down it as I had done so many times. This road was one of those where the cops never traveled, so I even though the speed limit was 35, I was pushing 55 mph. It was straight, though.

"Did you get carsick last time you guys came down here?" I asked.

I had forgotten they had picked me up.

"No, I drove. I feel better now. It's more open here," Zak said.

One couldn't see it in the dark with the rain and sleet, but outside was nothing but dirt road, hills and farmland. We crossed through the covered wooden bridge and made it to an intersection. My house was just after the bridge, and I felt a little excited. I hadn't been home in...what was it? Four months? Five months? No matter. All I wanted to do was flop down on the couch with Zak and...

"Son of a bitch!" I shouted.

Zak jumped.

"What?" he exclaimed.

I turned to him.

"My dog! Patch was keeping him!"

Zak's eyes widened.

"Shit!" he said, "Where is he?"

"He must still be at her trailer. We gotta go get him!"

"Where's her trailer at?" Zak asked.

I pointed to the hill on the right side of us.

"She's on the back part of my land," I said.

"Let's go," Zak said.

I turned right and drove between the hills to the next section.

"This is all your's?" Zak asked.

I nodded and looked at the hill in contempt.

"Yeah. It was my dad's way of getting me out of the house-well, out of state, actually. I wouldn't have taken it, but I really wanted to move out. I made the best of it. I got Patch out of the trailer park and put her on the back end. She loved it out there," I said, starting to get sad as we neared the driveway.

Zak placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, lightly moving his thumb in circles. When we pulled up, the gates were closed and chained, locked in the center with a heavy padlock.

"What the hell?" I asked.

Patch only ever closed the gate and kept the chain around it so they wouldn't swing open. They were just cheapo cattle gates. She never locked it.

"Do you have a key?" Zak asked.

I shook my head.

"Just the key to the front door. This is weird. She never ever locks it unless...maybe she had something to go to. She never told me," I replied.

Zak sighed.

"If we had a bigger truck, we could just crash through it," Zak said, trying to lighten the mood.

I propped myself up on the steering wheel.

"Let me think here for a minute. We could walk it but that hill is steep," I said.

"And long, looks like," Zak added, squinting through the percipitation to see.

We could faintly make out the large antique Airstream at the top of the hill.

"Is that an Airstream?" Zak asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded.

"She was the biggest hippie ever. She's had that thing since she was seventeen," I said.

"Wow," Zak breathed.

"That was her baby, even though it was in bad shape when she bought it. The floor is falling in in places. She didn't care. She wouldn't live in a normal house," I said.

Zak smiled at that.

"Stubborn old woman," I added.

I wondered if my dog was inside the trailer, but then I remembered that she never let him in the house after he got into some cake and yacked it on the floor. I tried to think of every possible way to get in. There was no way from my side of the hill because of the creek and the rocky cliff on the very top. I wished I could just blow up the lock.  
Wait a minute!

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

There was a shotgun that belonged to my uncle before he died. It was in a closet in the trailer. I could shoot, but not in the dark. My eyes weren't that great. But then, I remembered that Zak was good with guns.

"I just had a really fucking stupid idea," I said slowly.

"Oh, hell. What?"

I looked back up at the trailer.

"How good of a shot are you?" I asked.

He was a brilliant shot. I've seen Winchester Mystery House and several other videos on Youtube.

"Um..." Zak didn't know what to say.

I turned the truck off, but left the headlights on so I could see.

"Stay here," I said, "I'll be right back."

Zak did as he was told as I hopped out of the truck. I trudged up the hill and when I reached the trailer, I pulled out my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door. I was immediately blasted by the warm scent of patchouli and that sickly sweet scent of pot. The trailer had always smelled like that. I was glad Zak had not insisted on walking with me, because I knew he wouldn't be able to breath. Just the musty smell of old trailer was enough to make me cough.  
I stepped into the trailer. The old thing still had all original appliances. I was surprised they all still worked. The cabinetry was painted with peace signs, flowers, and rainbow patterns. Patch had done all of the herself. The original floor was replaced with nasty shag carpet. It had been there since the 70s and held the odors of the trailer nicely.  
I walked over to the closet and opened the door to stick my hand in. When my fingers found the shotgun, I pulled it out and checked it for bullets. Sure enough, it was loaded. I just hoped the damn thing worked.  
The walk down to the truck was faster than the walk up, but the gravel was starting to get slick. Zak climbed out of the truck when I arrived and took the gun out of my hands.

"Is it loaded?" he asked.

"Yup."

"Okay, get back, babe."

I walked around to the other side of the truck and plugged my ears.

"This is a really stupid idea," Zak said.

"Zak, I'm going to need that gate open one way or another," I said with chattering teeth.

"Okay, okay," he replied.

Zak held up the shotgun and aimed. I closed my ears and ducked. It was a good thing I didn't have any close neighbors (well, not anymore), because this gun was LOUD!  
Zak took a shot and the sound of metal shattering rang all over the hills.

"Got it," Zak called.

I came back around to inspect the damage. When I saw that the lock and chains had been disintegrated, I couldn't help but laugh.

"That's how you do it!" Zak said.

He seemed proud of himself.

"Okay, let's go. It's starting to get icy out here," I said.

Zak got in the truck and put the gun in the backseat. I pushed open the gates as Zak drove through. He stopped to let me in and we drove on up the hill.  
He shut the truck off when he arrived and I got out and walked out around to the backyard. It had been fenced in, and there was a homemade doghouse for my dog when he stayed here. But I didn't see the basset hound anywhere.

"I don't see him," I said.

I opened the little gate and let Zak in.

"I hope he didn't get out," Zak said worriedly.

Shit! I hadn't even thought about that.

"What's his name?" Zak asked.

"Ernie," I replied.

Zak whistled.

"Ernie!" he called.

It was ridiculously windy and hard to hear, but I could have sworn I heard a whine.

"Ernie! Come on!" I called.

"Is he in his house?" Zak asked, walking over to the doghouse.

Zak inspected it.

"Nope."

Zak and I both jumped when there was a howl from underneath the trailer. The trailer had a skirt all the way around it, but during the summer, Ernie would dig and tunnel under it. I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised when a big, overweight black tri-colored Basset Hound came barreling out of it.

"Ernie!" I cried.

I crouched down and Ernie raced up to me, reared up on his back legs, and threw his stubby front paws on my shoulder as if to hug me. I hugged him and buried my face in his fur. Ernie let out this loud, mournful howl. It was long and sounded as if he was in pain. I immediately began to cry.

"It's like he knows," Zak said softly.

Ernie whimpered when I scooted from under him.

"Come on, puppy. Let's go home," I said, standing.

Ernie looked up at me with the saddest look on his face. Most dogs cannot make the expressions that hounds can. It made me tear up even more.

"Do you mind holding him while I drive?" I asked.

"Sure, babe," Zak said.

Zak called Ernie over and picked him up like he was a chihuahua. It usually took all of me and Patch's strength to get his ass off the floor.

"Does he have a leash or anything we need to get. Toys, maybe?" Zak asked.

"Nah. He's too lazy," I said as I held the gate open for Zak.

He was no Gracie. I went over to the truck and opened the passenger side door for Zak.

"He's going to get hair everywhere," Zak said.

"I don't care. I have a shop-vac at the house. We can clean it out later," I said.

Zak hauled himself into the cab with Ernie and I shut the door. I returned to the driver's side and got back in, turned the truck on, and wiped my eyes.

"You okay, Mikey?" Zak asked.

He reached a free hand over and cupped my jaw. I just looked down and nodded, pulled my jacket sleeves over my frozen hands.

"Yeah," I tried to say, but it came out in a whisper.

I put my hands on the steering wheel and looked back up at Patch's trailer that she had called home all over her life. I couldn't make myself look away.

"Want me to drive, sweetheart?" Zak asked.

I sniffed and nodded. Zak opened his door and slid Ernie into the seat. I scooted to the middle and wrapped an arm around my dog. Zak got back in on the other side and began to reverse. I laid my head on him and he put an arm around me. Ernie laid down with a grunt and put his long face in my lap. I scratched his back as Zak drove down to the gate and back out onto the dirt road.

Xxx

When the big white ranch-house came into view, Ernie got excited and started pawing at the door. When Zak parked the truck, I opened the door and let him out. Zak was looking in awe at the house.

"I didn't get to see this place up close last time we were here," Zak said.

I half-smiled. Patch had their attention the moment Zak stepped out of the van. I wasn't surprised.

"How old is this house? It looks like it's been here for years!" Zak said.

"It has that 300 year old house charm, doesn't it?" I asked.

Zak nodded.

"Is it 300 years old?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Haha! No. It's about three years old. Dad gave me the money and I designed it and had it built. It was just another something to keep me away from them," I said.

"Wow, really? It looks so old," he said.  
"I made it look like that on purpose. The inside looks totally different," I said.

We got out of the truck and unloaded. Ernie sat up on the porch patiently and waited until I came with the keys.

"Damn! Is this your truck?" Zak asked as we walked between the Silverado and my Dodge.

"Yeah. Oh my fucking God!" I said as we passed by.

The front right tire was flat.

"We can go get it fixed in the morning," Zak said.

I stood there staring at it.

"Now that pisses me off! I wonder how long it's been sitting there like that," I said, my voice kicking up an octave.

Zak was already up on the porch.

"Michael, don't worry about it. Let's go in and get warmed up," he said.

I groaned. This wasn't something I should be worrying about anyways.

I opened to door to the living room and twisted the dimmer knob on the wall. The can lights in the vaulted ceiling lit up to reveal my red living room and the stairs that led up to the loft.

"You weren't kidding," Zak said as he walked in and took his jacket off.

"Home again, home again," I said as I walked into the kitchen, which was beside the living room.

I frowned after I said it. Patch would always finish it with "jiggity-jog."

"Jiggity-jig?" Zak asked.

I spun around and stared at him.

"Jog," I said, "Patch would always so that when we got back from going to town or something."

Zak gave me a sideways smile as he followed me into the kitchen. I looked up and around the kitchen, slowly realizing that there would be no more "jog."  
Zak's phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Nick and Aaron just got on the plane. They should be here tomorrow," he said.

I looked over at him, surprised. He hadn't said anything about Nick and Aaron coming.

"They're coming? They canceled the show?"

Zak nodded.

"They wanted to be here for you," he said.

I let my shoulders fall. They didn't have to do all of this for me. They had only briefly met Patch.

"I guess she made a pretty big impact on them for them to come all the way out here," I said quietly, "She was always like that."

Zak walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders. I looked up to see him looking down at me with the saddest expression I had ever seen on him.

"We knew how much you loved her," he said.

I bit my shaking lip and put my arms around him. Zak held me closely like a little kid holding their teddy bear when they're scared.

"I miss her so much already," I cried into his shirt.

Zak kissed me on the top of the head.

"Shh, hun, it's going to be alright," he whispered.


	19. The Hollow

"You guys make sure you get something with four-wheel drive when you land in Tulsa," Zak said to Nick on the phone as he paced through Michael's living room.

"Is the weather bad out there?" Nick asked.

Zak padded across the room to the French doors that led out to the side porch.

"We have some frozen rain. I mean, it's not _bad_ bad but it's hilly as hell here. You'll need the extra power," he replied.

"Alright, g. I kind of remember how to get down there. Across the covered bridge when you turn off the road, right?" Nick asked.

"Yeah. It's the first driveway. She has this big rock that has 'The Hollow' etched in. I think the mailbox says 'Wilde' too."

"Oh yeah! I remember seeing that! I'm guessing that's what the house was called?" Nick asked.

Zak shrugged, even though he knew Nick couldn't see him.

"I think that's just what Mikey calls it. The house looks ancient but she says it's a recent build. Her dad bought her the property and paid for the house," Zak explained.

"I thought her parents-"

"She says it was to get her out," Zak cut Nick off.

"Dude, really? That's terrible," Nick said.

"Yeah, it is, but you can't bite the hand that feeds you."

"True, bro. Well, we're about to land and switch planes. We'll probably be there around mid-morning. Did you tell her we were coming?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, just a little while ago, I did," Zak replied.

"Okay. How is she?"

"She's really tired. We had to go to her aunt's trailer earlier. I think it upset her pretty bad."

"Damn," Nick said.

"But she's in the shower right now so we're going to go ahead and go to bed. It's almost midnight here," Zak continued.

"Okay. I'll call you later, man," Nick said.

Zak and Nick said their goodbyes just in time for Zak to hear the bathroom door down the hall open.

Xxx

I shuffled out of the bathroom and found Zak in the living room near the porch doors with his cell phone in his hands. I had heard him talking while I was brushing my teeth, but I couldn't make out a word of it. The flatscreen on the mantle above the fireplace was turned on and muted.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey. Nick just called. They should be here in the morning. If nothing gets delayed, that is," Zak said.

I nodded and walked around to the end table to grab the remote to the television.

"How was your shower? You feeling better?" he asked.

I flipped the stations to Comedy Central and turned the mute off.

"Fine. I just feel really, I don't know. Drained?"

Zak nodded.

"Jet lag? Maybe it's time we go ahead and go to bed," he suggested.

I shook my head and turned the TV off.

"No, I don't want to sleep right now," I argued.

I could feel my mood switch over to agitation and I had to fight to suppress it.

"Mikey, you're exhausted. Come on," Zak urged.

I shook my head again and crossed my arms.

"Well, let's do something else then," he said.

He was trying to keep me preoccupied and keep my mind off of things. I thought anything would be better than sleeping, because if I slept, I would dream and I really didn't want to see what my mind would play for me tonight.

"How about you show me around?" he asked.

That would keep my mind off of things.

"Okay," I said.

Zak gave me a smile and pointed to the stairs.

"What's up here?" he asked, pointing to the loft.

"My office. Come on, I'll show you," I said.

I turned on the track lighting about the stairs and led him up the staircase. Up in the loft was my desk with my computer and all of my photography stuff.

"Every room has a different theme, because I couldn't decide what I wanted. This one is kind of modge-podge," I explained.

The walls were red, but the back wall with a window that overlooked the backyard was painted black.

"What's the living room? I noticed you had some antique lamps down there," Zak asked.

I smiled and nodded.

"This house is full of antique stuff. Lots of Victorian era stuff. The living room is Victorian, I guess. It's mixed with modern. I love old meets new. And lots of dark stuff," I said.

Zak smiled as he walked over to an old Victor phonograph I had sitting on a black table.

"This thing is neat. That horn is huge!" he said, gently touching the brass bell.

"That's my precious. I had to search high and low for that," I said.  
"Does it still work?" he asked.

I picked up the heavy metal sound box and bend it backwards on it's support. The needle I had on it was dull.

"It will when I order new needles. It's really loud," I said, putting the sound box back down.

Zak seemed really disappointed. I wasn't in the mood to crank the thing up, so we moved on to the opposite side of the room where I had several collage picture frames of my own stuff, then one of my cousins and I when we were little, with a few pictures of Patch and I at concerts.

"You guys met Motley Crüe?" Zak squeaked.

"Oh yeah. There's one here with Joan Jett. She was really cool. Some with newer bands too," I said.

"You haven't finished these though," Zak pointed out.

I smiled. I had about 500 pictures of the Crew and I, not to mention the good 40 or 50 Zak and I took together. Those frames wouldn't remain vacant for long.

"I will," I said.

We moved on back downstairs and into the kitchen. It was the most modern room in the house.

"The bathroom is a weird one," I said.

"I'm excited," Zak said.

My hallway is short, creating a T in the house. A the end of the hall, dead center between the bedrooms was a sliding door riddled with pulleys and a scrapped airplane propeller.

"What in the world?" Zak asked.

"This is a product of too much time on the Internet and just creative boredom," I said jokingly.

"This is the bathroom door?" he asked in disbelief.

I nodded.

"I like being creative with my decorations," I admitted.

Zak laughed.

"I thought _I_ had weird shit in my house," he said, "How do you get in to take a piss?"

I laughed and grabbed the propeller, spinning it. The wheels and gears spun and the door slid to the side, revealing the weirdest bathroom anyone ever thought of having. I'm one of those who don't like typical bathrooms. Nothing modern or French or nautical. I had to have something different.

Zak reached in to flip on the lights.

"Oh nice!" he said as he stepped in, "Steampunk, huh?"

I smiled at him. This was the room I had worked the hardest on. Everything excluding the tub was made out of scrap metal or picked up from a flea market. Even the toilet was an antique, with a chain to flush instead of a handle.

"Creepy," Zak commented when he spotted the toilet.

"Hey, don't be hating on the toilet," I said.

Zak's eyes roamed the wooden walls, taking in the old world maps on the wall, the strange light bulbs and exposed copper pipes. On the countertop was a globe and a replica cathedral radio.

"This is so different, but...it's really cool, Mikey."

I bowed.

"Thank ya, thank ya," I said.

We then went down the hall and I showed him my room, which was a huge contrast again not only the house, but me as well. I had tan carpet on the floor, but the rest of the room was stark white. The only accent color was black and tad bit of burlap to match the carpet. The only color that was breaking the scheme was my aluminum laptop sitting on the vanity.

"What the hell, Michael? This is not you," Zak said.

"I know," I said, "You would think I would do my room like the guest bedroom."

Zak looked at me warily.

"What's in the guest bedroom?" he asked slowly, eyes bigger than I had ever seen them.

I smirked and took his hand.

"Why let me show you," I said, leading him back through the hall to the opposite side.

"You saved this for last on purpose, didn't you?" he asked.

I turned and we came up on the door, Zak laughed.

"You have a Dracula poster on your door," Zak said.

I pulled down the door handle and stuck my hand in to turn on the chandelier.

"This is my dungeon. I didn't get to see your's but it's probably better," I said.

"Well, let's see then," he said.

I opened the door and Zak jumped.

"Shit!" Zak hissed.

Yeah, I had a life size Boris Karloff as The Monster and Béla Lugosi as Count Dracula standing on either side of the queen bed. The bed had black monochrome dressing. The bed itself was dark wood. Shelves on the walls were lined with my collection of Universal Monsters, Harry Potter, and tons of things one would find in Zak's house, except a little bit less scary. The skulls laying around were all fake, but still kind of scary.

"I love it!" Zak squealed.

I laughed at him.

"I get to sleep here?" he asked.

I nodded. Zak hugged me and then jumped around like a child.

"Aaron and Nick will just have to camp out in the living room," I said.

"They'll live," he said.

I leaned against the door jamb and smiled up at Zak. The sadness was beginning to subside, thanks to him.

"Thanks for coming out here. I don't know how I'm going to be able to go down there tomorrow but I'm really glad you came with me."

Zak walked over to me and hugged me.

"You're welcome, Mikey," he said into my ear, "Don't worry. We'll get through this. You know, I barely knew her and I miss her, too."

I nodded and hugged Zak tighter.

"Come on. How about we go watch a movie and crash on the couch?" he asked.

I looked up and nodded.

"That sounds like a good idea," I said.

Zak leaned down and kissed me. There was a time where I would cringe or even back away from a kiss, but Zak was making me like it again. He wasn't nasty or disrespectful about it. They were gentle and sweet.  
We broke away when we couldn't breathe and I hugged him again.

"I love you, Zak," I whispered.

Zak buried his face in my damp hair.

"I love you, too, Mikey," he said.

We left the dungeon bedroom and returned to the living room. I let Zak pick out a movie and I snuggled up against him on the couch with a blanket I had grabbed from my room. With all that was going on, it was hard to enjoy it, but it was nice.

Xxx

It was three in the morning when I woke up for no reason. I was laying on top of Zak. The TV was turned off and a big silver moon shone in through the porch doors, illuminating the living room. I slowly sat up and stood to my feet, picking my phone up off the coffee table. When I checked the time, I noticed I had a missed call.  
The call to nature came when I stood, and I decided to see who called later. Right now, I had to pee.  
After finishing, I returned to the living room and slipped out onto the porch. A box of matches sat on the patio table next to all of my candles. I lit all of them and several hanging lanterns. It was freezing out, but the crisp air helped me clear my head.  
I sat down and began to just chill. My mind was still on Aunt Patch, but I didn't feel sad anymore. I couldn't help but think that it was from Zak's presence.  
With that thought, I stood up and peered in to see Zak still sleeping soundly on the couch. Just seeing him gave me a sense of closure. After being disowned by my parents, treated like shit by my exes, and losing the best woman in the world, I still have Zak. He would not allow me to be alone in this, and if I was thankful for anything this coming Thanksgiving, it was him and the Crew. I couldn't ask for anything better.  
Suddenly, my phone rang in my pocket. I turned away from the door and answered it.

"Cousin, why didn't you call me and tell me what happened?" a lispy voice cried from the other side.

Oh, I knew that voice!

"Nikki, don't start crying, please," I begged.

Nikola Roberts, my flamboyant, bubbly cousin from Texas. We were both the same age, down to the minute. He and my cousin Volta were twins and were just alike as they were different. In a perfect world, we would be triplets.

"I can't help it, Michael! I didn't even know she was sick!" Nikki cried.

I heard a deep voice speak in the background. I assumed in was Volta.

"Car wreck?" Nikki shrieked.

There was murmuring.

"She was in a car wreck, Michael? What happened?" Nikki asked me.

"I don't know any details. I'm sorry," I replied, "I was in Canada when I got the call. I haven't been home in months."

"Oh, that's right! Why the hell wouldn't they tell you anything? Oh my God!" he exclaimed.

"I have no idea. They called me the other day and told me to get down here and identify the body. What gets me is why they even need me to identify the body if they knew it was her. That's so stupid!" I replied.

I could hear Nikki crying profusely.

"I can't b-b-believe this happened, Michael! Why her? I loved that woman! Do you know how big of an inspiration she's been to me? How much advice and help she's given me? She helped me find who I am, Michael! She taught me how to love myself and never take anyone's flack for being who I am! Why did God have to take her?"

My nose threatened to run, and I wasn't sure if it was because it was so cold out, or from trying to keep my crying under control. Probably both.

"I don't know, Nikki," I said softly as he bawled through the receiver.

"Well, I just found out from Volt. He came over and woke me up and told me to just pack up and get in the car. We were on the road for an hour before he told me," he said.

Nikki was flighty and unpredictable when a serious situation would arise. There was no sitting him down and calmly talking to him. The best way was to lock him in the car, so I completely understood Volta's strategy.

"You guys are coming up here?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Nikki sniffed and made these "iff, iff, iff" sounds as he struggled to breathe from crying, "Let me h-h-hand the phuh-phone to Volta. I'm sorry, honey."

"It's okay, Nikki," I said.

I heard the phone exchange hands and a Volta's voice came clearly through.

"Hey, Little One," he said softly.

I pressed the palm of my hand to my mouth and had to bite down to keep myself from losing all composure and waking Zak. Volta had been my closest and best-est friend since we were toddlers. I hadn't seen him or spoke to him in two years. I felt like a terrible cousin for that, but what with working at the newspaper and then the job offering from the Travel Channel, I didn't really have time to even _think_ about the twins. He had saved me from so many bullies and was my closest playmate, which doesn't really sound that special, but it is.

"Oh my God, Volta. I miss you," I squeaked out.

I heard him chuckle.

"I miss you, too. How are you?" he asked.

"I'm uh-I'm alright, I guess. What about you?"

I could hear him sigh.

"I just-I don't know, Mikey. I don't think it's sunk in for me yet," he replied.

"Yeah," I said, "it really didn't hit me until I got home."

"Aw, Michael. Well, I'm sorry Nikola called you this late-or, early, I guess. I told him not to."

"It's fine. I was up anyways. Jet lag, you know. Completely screwed up my sleeping schedule."

"You flew in? Oh, that's right! You were working with Ghost Adventures! How are you liking the job?" Volta asked.

I smiled and looked back in through the window. Zak had rolled over on his side. Ernie had climbed up on the couch to sleep on top of him.

"It's amazing. Best job in the world," I replied.

I could hear the smiling in Volta's voice, if that makes sense.

"I'm glad. Well, I'm really sorry this is short notice, but when I heard about the accident, I just decided to get Nikola and come up there. We didn't want you to be alone."

"It's alright, but uh, I'm not necessarily alone. And how did you hear about the accident?"

"Michael, it was on the news! Did you not see?" Volta asked.

"Volta, I've been in Canada. I only just got the call the other day!"

"Ah man! And how are you not alone?" he asked.

I sighed.

"Um, Zak's here with me," I replied.

Volta gasped.

"No way! Zak _Bagans_?" he squeaked.

I had to laugh at that.

"Yes. Please, for the love, do NOT tell Nikki. He will-"

"Oh, don't worry, Mikey. But really? I didn't know you worked that close with them," he said.

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it.

"Working with these guys is like being in a band. We are around each other almost _all_ of the time. Nick and Aaron are coming in the morning, so it'll be a full house here."

"That's cool. We can figure it out. Nikki and I can crash in the scary room. Oh, wait. Zak has that room doesn't he?"

I laughed.

"Yeah, he called dibs. You guys can stay in the loft. Nikki will probably sneak in my room like he always does. Unless..."

"What?" Volta asked.

"Zak may share with me. I don't know," I thought out loud.

"Whoa, what? Oh my God, Mikey! Are you two...?"

"We'll discuss it later, Volta," I said.

"No! Tell me! Are you dating?"

"You are such a girl!" I said, "No, not at the moment."

"But you two are together?" he asked.

"Yes!" I said.

Volta went silent, and for a moment, I thought the call had been dropped.

"Volt?"

"I'm still here. Michael, I'm so proud of you. I saw the episode where you did the spirit box sesh with Zak. I saw the way he looked at you. I hoped you two would be an item one day. I knew he would respect you."

I smiled.

"Thanks, Volta," I said.

"You're welcome, Little One," he said, "I'll let you go get some sleep. We'll be there by around eight or nine."

"Okay, Volta. Drive safe. Say bye to Nikki for me," I said.

"Mikey says bye," I heard Volta say, "He won't say bye back but he wants to. He's being dramatic."

"He'll flip shit when he sees Zak and the boys, then," I said.

Volta laughed.

"No, what he'll freak over is the fact that-well, you know. Jell-US!" he said.

I laughed.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'll see you later."

"Sweet dreams, Michael."

I hung up and sat back down in the patio chair. I was excited about them coming down and so, so, so grateful to have them as well as the support of the Crew. I guess it's true when they say when one door closes, another opens.  
I heard scratching at the glass and figured Ernie wanted out to go. But as I turned to get up, the door opened and Zak shuffled out.

"What are you doing out here, babe?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and came over to sit in the opposite chair, "It's cold as hell."

"I just came out here to think, but Nikola called me so I talked to him and Volta for a while," I replied.

Zak raised a confused eyebrow.

"My cousins. The twins? Did I not tell you about them?" I asked.

Zak shook his head.

"I think you talked about Volta to Aaron. I recognize the name. Did you say Nikola? Like Nikola Tesla?" he asked.

I nodded.

"I got the 'Tesla' part. We were born at the same minute. It was my dad's idea," I said.

"Your whole family has weird names. Patch, Nikola, Volta. Michael isn't really weird, but it's still different."

"Don't be hatin'," I said playfully.

"I'm not, Mikey. You know, you're going to have a ton of people here. Six of us," Zak pointed out.

"And there's no damn food!" I said and laughed.

Zak cracked up.

"We gotta have that!" he said.

I went silent. We didn't have time to get food. After all the boys arrived, we had to go get the...the morgue. And arrange the funeral and everything.

"You okay?" Zak asked.

I just nodded. Zak shivered and stood up. He walked over in front of me and held a hand out.

"Come on. Bedtime," he said.

I looked up at him.

"Will you go with me tomorrow? To the...thing?" I asked.

Zak nodded.

"Of course, sweetheart. You need to stop thinking about it and get some sleep. Come on."

He took both of my hands and I stood. We let Ernie back in and Zak forced me to go on and sleep in my own bed. I didn't have to ask him to stay until I fell asleep. He did it on his own.

"I must have done something right to have you," I whispered, sleep coming with the aid of Zak's fingers pushing my hair back over and over.

He leaned down and kissed me.

"I think we both got lucky," he said.

I smiled and soon fell asleep.


	20. Prayers and Blessings

You know those mornings when you wake up and don't remember ever falling asleep? This was one of those mornings for me.

"Michael. Michael, sweetheart, wake up," I heard Zak say as he shook my shoulder.

I felt the mattress depress under his weight, his fingers brushing the hair out of my face.

"I'm awake," I grumbled with my eyes closed.

"When are the twins supposed to be here?" he asked.

"Nine-ish," I replied.

"That's what I thought. Get up and around. It's eight now."

I rolled over onto my back, opened my eyes and stretched. Zak was looming over me, a crooked smile on his face. His hair was already gelled up and he was wearing a blue t-shirt, so he had already gotten up and ready for the day. It made me **not** want to get up that much more.

"Ugh! I feel like hell," I complained.

I bet I looked like hell, too. Zak frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just don't feel right. Like, nervous," I said.

Zak put a hand on my leg and rubbed it through my comforter.

"I know you are. But, Mikey, you gotta get up. We have a really long day ahead of us."

I groaned and sat up.

"Hey Zak?" I asked.

Zak fingers reached up and tilted my face up, making me look at him. The look in his eyes was nothing but loving, but his expression was discomforting. He looked sad, worried, and concerned-things I didn't want him to be. Not for me.

"I thought I would be ready for this by now, but I'm not. I'm not ready to put that woman in the ground. It's not her time," I said.

Zak pulled me into a hug.

"I know how your feeling, hun. Like she was stolen out from under you," he said.

I nodded.

"I know it's hard, but you gotta be strong today. Volta and Nikola are going to need a rock," he said.

We pulled apart and I nodded.

"Especially Nikola. I heard you trying to calm him down last night. I didn't mean to hear," Zak said, looking down, not being able to keep eye contact.

"Oh, Zak. I'm sorry I woke you. And it's alright," I said.

Zak looked back up at me.

"She must have been really special," he said quietly.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," Zak said, his eyes very sorrowful.

Out within the house somewhere, Ernie began howling.

"I let him out and fed him while you were sleeping," he mentioned.  
"You didn't have to do that," I said.

"Michael, I want to try and make today easier on you anyway I can. Feeding Ernie is no problem," he said.

I smiled.

"Thank-you, Zak," I whispered.

Zak forced a smile.

"You're welcome, Mikey."

I stood up and walked over to my closet to get a change of clothes for the day.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," I announced.

Zak stood and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets.

"Alright."

"So, if the twins show up before I get out, go ahead and let them in. They should be driving the Charger. Volta knows you're here, but Nikki doesn't so he may um...well, fan-girl out," I explained as I walked around the room in search of all of my clothing before heading out into the hall.

"Fan-girl? Why would he fan-girl out?" Zak asked.

I sighed. Knowing Nikki and how he dresses, Zak would immediately know as soon as Nikki walked through the door.

"He's a really big fan of the show and he kinda...crushed on you for a while," I said.

I was really expecting Zak to be a little shocked. Not really repulsed, because I knew he wasn't judgemental, but still a little surprised. However, he seemed to be extremely cool with it, and I loved him even more for that. Patch and I had a hard time with Nikki and Aunt Elena and Uncle Daren because of their beliefs and Nikki's sudden exposure, but I think Patch, Volta and I always knew.

"Well, I don't blame him," Zak said as he turned to look in the vanity's mirror and fix up his hair.

I laughed.

"Me neither," I agreed, winking at him, "Come here you gorgeous man."

Zak smiled and walked over to kiss me. Yes, I was really starting to enjoy this.

"Wuv oo!" Zak squealed.

"Luff you, big boy," I said.

Zak let me go on and take a shower. I felt a little better once I got around, and the smell in the bathroom made me feel even better. It was like sitting in the Bentley, smelling of Zak's shampoo and thick with Axe Body spray. It kicked the smell of my flowery bathroom scents in the ass.  
I was glad Zak woke me up when he did, because just as I threw my wet hair into a clip, Ernie howled and the doorbell rang. I tore off out of the bathroom. I didn't want Zak to be faced with the awkwardness of meeting the twins, so I raced down the hall, which was a straight shot to the door. Zak got up off the couch where he was watching TV and followed me with Ernie to the door.

"Want me to hold him back? In case he runs out?" Zak asked.

I grabbed the door handle and looked back at him.

"No, it's alright," I replied.

I opened the door to reveal two extremely slender, freakishly tall hipster twins shivering on the porch. It was almost hard to tell which one was the gay one. Volt was wearing a baby blue hoodie with the hood up, a charcoal gray deep V t-shirt with black skinny jeans and high-tops. However, Nikki was the one standing there in green tye-dye tank top, burnt orange skinny bermudas, TOMS, and a fauxhawk that almost matched Zak's, except his was blonde. They were both smiling until Zak approached. The look on Nikki's face...God, I wished I had a picture.

"Good morning!" Volta said happily and reached over to hug me.

"Hello! Good morning!" I said.

We pulled away and I noticed Volta's hair flop in his eyes.

"You let your hair grow out," I pointed out.

By the way, during this whole thing, we left Nikki standing there in silence with his mouth hanging wide open.

"Yeah. My friend at work says I look like that kid from One Erection or whatever that band is," he said jokingly.

I laughed and turned to Zak.

"Well, Volta meet Zak Bagans," I said.

Zak smiled at Volta and they shook hands.

"So good to meet ya, man," Volta said.

I turned to Nikki. He grabbed me by the arm, still staring at Zak, and dug his skeletal fingers into me.

"You didn't tell me this!" he hissed.

"Calm down, Nikola. He's mine," I whispered.

Nikki was shocked.

"Are you serious?" he whispered loudly.

"He's in my house, isn't he?" I hissed.

"Oh. My God!" Nikki freaked.

Zak turned to Nikki, causing Nikki to jump back. Was he really scared of Zak? He towered over him! I grabbed Nikki and pushed him forward.

"OhmygodhiI'msuchabigfan," Nikki spluttered.

Zak shook hands with Nikki and cracked this gorgeous smile. I feared Nikki and I both might faint. Nikki cleared his throat.

"Nikola, meet my uh, boyfriend, Zak," I said.

I would really have to get used to that word.

"Nice to meet you," Zak said in a friendly tone, making Nikki relax a bit.

"Let's go on in," I suggested.

"It's freezing here!" Volta exclaimed.

Zak opened the door wide open and let me and the twins in.

"It's supposed to be in the upper 60's today," Zak said.

"Oh good!" Volta said.

Such a pretty day for bullshit.

"Should we bring our bags in?" Nikki asked me.

"No, we have more people coming," I said.

Nikki spun around to look at me as Zak shut the door.

"More? Who? Aunt Belinda and Uncle Reg?"

"Hell no! Nick and Aaron," I replied.

Nikki paled.

"This is your lucky day, bro," Zak said.

Nikki smiled and looked over at me.

"Not as lucky as you are to have my cousin," Nikki said.

Zak slipped an arm around my waist. Nikki's smile grew bigger. He leaned over to me to whisper in my ear, but I'm sure Zak was close enough to hear.

"I'm so fucking jealous, you lucky bitch," he whispered jokingly, making me laugh.

Later, Zak and I ran into town to pick up some food while the twins unloaded the car. I really wanted to get the Silverado back to Tulsa so Nick and Aaron would have a place to park, but we didn't have the time.  
It occurred to me when the twins arrived that there would be five men in my house-a house with nothing but a ketchup bottle in the fridge. That was a no go, and even though we really didn't have the time, I was hungry. So we picked up enough groceries to feed the six of us, then returned home. Zak received a call that Aaron and Nick were an hour outside of Fayetteville, so we quickly finished up our grocery shopping and headed back to the house.  
Volta immediately got into the bacon.

"Volta, don't eat all of it," I said.

"Michael, honey, we got three boxes of it. We have plenty," Zak said.

Nikki snuck over to the microwave where Volta was pulling out bacon and stole one, making Volta start in.

"Nikki! Get your own!" Volta barked.

I rolled my eyes. They were usually very close and hardly ever fought, but ever since they were little one would find a way to piss off the other. Food was a very easy way to please and anger Volta, and Nikki knew how to push his buttons. It was kind of funny, though.

"Bite me!" Nikki retorted, munching on the bacon and sauntering off into the living room with his nose in his phone.

I turned to Zak and smiled apologetically.

"They do this sometimes. Sorry," I whispered.

Zak smiled.

"It's what siblings do," he said.

I looked back at Volta and then over to Nikki, who was playing with Ernie in the living room floor. It reminded me of how Nick, Aaron, and Zak fought sometimes. Well, it was more like Aaron and Nick wanted to play and Zak would get mad. The twins' fighting made me miss Nick and Aaron.

"Where are the boys?" I asked Zak.

"I'll text Aaron," Zak said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

As soon as he began to type, Ernie howled and there was a bunch of loud knocks at the front door.

"Spoke too soon," I said.

Zak and I walked over to the front door and opened it to let Nick and Aaron in. They looked absolutely exhausted. Nick hugged me as soon as he hugged Zak.

"How are you, Mikey?" he asked as he squeezed the living crap out of me.

"I'm doing alright," I replied.

Nick pulled back and smiled. I was about to say more when Aaron glomped me.

"Worried about you the whole way here, Short Stuff," Aaron said into the top of my head.

I hugged Aaron tightly.

"I'm fine. For now, anyways," I replied.

Aaron wouldn't let go of me.

"I still worried," he said.

"Thanks for worrying," I said, trying to make him laugh and let go.

Although, it was extremely touching how these guys cared. Aaron finally let me go. I turned and introduced the boys to the twins, making sure I mentioned how much they loved the show. This made Nick smile.

"Maybe we can get some shit signed when things chill out. Take some pictures and stuff," Nick suggested.

I wondered when Nikki would squeal.

"Oh, no," Volta said, "You guys don't have to do any of that. We're just glad you're here for Michael."

Volta pulled me into a headlock.

"Bro, she's like a sister to us. Why wouldn't we be?" Aaron asked.

Volta let me go.

"You got a full house here, don't you, Mikey?" Nick asked as he leaned down to pet Ernie.

"Five boys in this house. Gonna be, uh, _fun_. Makes me wish I had added another bathroom," I said, making them laugh.  
"Michael, it's ten o' clock," Nikki said, looking at the clock on his phone.

My heart beat increased.

"Oh, crap. We need to head on down there, Michael," Zak agreed.

I looked down nervously at my feet.

"You haven't gone yet?" Aaron asked.

I shook my head.

"Well, we'll go with you, honey," Nikki said.

"Okay. Um, Nick, Aaron, if you guys want you can stay here and unload. Zak was going to go. Volta, are you going to go?"

Volta blew his cheeks out and exhaled through his lips. He shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"I want to go but, geez, Michael. I don't know if I can handle it," he said.

Volta and I had this thing about bodies and hospitals. It's what connected us and set us apart from Nikki.

"Yeah, me neither," I said, cringing.

"I can vouch for you, Michael. I don't mind," Nikki said.

Nikki, for some reason, had never been afraid of corpses. When our grandma died, he was the only grandkid in the church. Volta and I stayed in the car until it was time to go to the cemetery. It was just a mortality thing, I suppose.

"Okay. I hope they let you in. You're name wasn't on the living will. Neither was Zak's, but I'm going to fight to get him in anyways," I said.

"Oh, I will throw a bitch fit! They _have_ to let me in there," Nikki stated.

And he would, too.

"Fine. Volt, are you going?" I asked.

Volta was hesitant, but he nodded. I turned to Nick and Aaron.

"Do you guys want to hang here or go ahead and come with us?" I asked.

Nick's brown eyes went doleful.

"Of course we'll come with you, Mikes. We may not go in but we'll come to support you," Aaron said.

"Michael, we know how hard this is. Like, incredibly hard. I've been through it myself. I wish I had had the amount of support you have," Nick said.

I nodded.

"Thanks," I said.

Zak put an arm around me.

"All three of you," he added.

The twins smiled at that.

"Then one question remains," Nikki said.

We all looked at Nikki. With the Crew's eyes on him, his tanned skin turned deep red.

"What are going in? The Charger won't fit us all," Volta finished for him.

"You can sit on my lap, Nikola," I said.

He was as light as a feather. He wouldn't hurt me.

"It's a good thing I rented this," Nick said.

He walked over to the front door and pointed out the window. We followed him and peered out. Sitting out beside the Charger was a white 16 passenger van.

"Of course," Zak said sarcastically, making Nick laugh.

I let Ernie out before we left and piled into the van, Nikki and I in shotgun, Zak, Volta and Nick in the middle, and Aaron in the backseat by himself.

"Everyone buckled?" I asked.

A collection of "yups" came from behind me.

...Showtime.

Xxx

"A Patch Wilde Rosson, is it?" the nurse asked as we all stood in the office at the hospital.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

Zak had his hand wrapped tightly around mine. I was shaking as I spoke with the nurse (or maybe he was more an a mortician). He was an older man, and quite cheery for this disgusting atmosphere, but the smell of the basement office was getting to me. Volta was a little uneasy, but as for the rest of the boys, they were fine. If the mortician had been any kind of rude, I wouldn't have been able to walk in there.

"Okay, well, it looks like everything's in order. Do you have any questions before we go ahead?" he asked.

"I do have a few," I said.

He looked at me expectantly, patiently waiting for me to splutter out stupid questions.

"Why, if she was identified, am I here to identify the...the body?"

He shook his head.

"Just a standard cautionary procedure. We have to contact the family and inform them that a member of the family has passed. They sometimes want proof so we ask if they can come down and make it official before the body is sent to the funeral home," he explained.

I nodded, gripping Zak's hand tightly at the word "body."

"Okay, um, is it okay if a few of the guys go with me? These two are family," I said, pointing to Nikki and Volta, "They're my cousins. And this is a really close family friend," I avoided the word "boyfriend" because I feared the mortician wouldn't let Zak in if he heard that and I really didn't want to go in there without him, "He knew Aunt Patch."

The mortician stood and thought for a minute, tapping on his clipboard.

"I usually don't allow anyone without written consent, even they are family, but since you were her only close family, I will allow you and the three to come in. Not all five," he said.

I sighed in relief.

"That's fine with us, man," Nick said, "We're just here to be here."

"Here to be supportive?" the mortician asked.

I didn't look behind me, but I assumed Nick and Aaron were nodding, because the mortician nodded.

"Good. That's good. Okay, shall we go on in?"

Zak, the twins and I nodded. The mortician led the way. Inside, the room was cold, with white walls and stainless steel cabinets that store the bodies. A gurney, which looked my like a giant tray on wheels, sat alone on one side of the room. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. One flickered, giving the morgue this eerie feel.  
Nikki walked ahead of us. I held hands with Volta and Zak kept an arm around me.

"Is it okay if I make the call? Michael has necrophobia," Nikki explained.

The mortician didn't argue, but nodded. I watched with a lump of acid rising in my throat as the mortician opened a door. I caught a flash of bare feet and knew if I didn't look away, I was going to have a repeat of the night at Lanark Nursing Home.  
I let go of Volta's hand and hid my face in Zak's chest. Zak wrapped his arms tightly around me. There was a squeak as the bed was pulled out. A sob broke out from Volta's chest.

"I'm sorry. I can't do this," Volta blurted out.

I was going to look up and comfort him, but my fear of seeing the body kept my eyes closed. An arm around me went missing, causing me to peek. Zak had his hand on Volta's shoulder.

"It's okay, man. Why don't you go ahead and go hang with Nick and Aaron?" Zak suggested.

Volta nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Okay. Thanks, man," he said to Zak.

Volta looked down at me.

"I'm sorry, Little One," he whispered.

"It's okay. Go ahead," I whispered back.

Volta nodded and jogged out of the morgue. I buried my face back into Zak's chest. There was a ruffling of a sheet and an inquisitive hum from the mortician. I heard Nikki let out a shaky breath. There was another squeak and the distinctive sound of a door shutting.

"It's over," Zak murmured.

I turned around to see Nikki turn to us, clearly upset.

"May I ask how she died? No one gave us the details," Nikki asked.

"Really?" the mortician asked, "Well, you certainly have the right to know. She was brought in the other night, around 8:00 PM. There had been an explosion on the Expressway and it was a head-on collision. Coroner said she was dead upon impact. The van was totaled."

"Oh my God," I said out loud, tears now pouring down my face.

I looked up at Zak to see him begin to get teary-eyed.

"We ran several tests. She was definitely not under the influence. However, there were traces of marijuana in the hair tests. Now, that doesn't mean she was high at the time of the collision."

"She never smoked when she drove," I spoke up, "Only at home. We knew she smoked."

The mortician nodded. We wrapped things up and soon picked up and signed off on some paperwork. The mortician said that one thing was recovered from the crash and he handed it over to me. When I saw it, I had to bite on my lip to keep from bawling.

"Her purple glasses," I whispered as I took them.

Nikki finally broke down and Zak was having a hard time keeping strong.

"Those were favorite," Nikki said softly.

After leaving, we returned to The Hollow. It was lunch time, but none of us were hungry. Instead, we all sat in a circle in the loft and began arranging the funeral, but not before Zak wanted to do a prayer. It seemed fitting, and what he said was beautiful. I didn't even notice that he had put the purple glasses in the middle of the circle until the prayer was over. It almost made it seem as if Patch was around-watching us. Smiling.  
After all the work I had done with the GAC, I had a feeling I might be correct.

Xxx

The afternoon brought warmth over The Hollow and a renewed cheerfulness to our dulled moods. We had settled everything with the funeral home, deciding just to have a small, closed-casket wake at the funeral home, then sending the casket to the cemetery. I couldn't help but think that not only Zak's prayer helped the mood, but also their presence. Just the sense of closure alone was helping me tremendously.  
We basically just sat around and rested in the loft. Volta wanted to make a run into town in the morning and find a case for the glasses. We all thought it was a good idea, so we put that on our list of things to do. The funeral was in two days, so we had time. In the meantime, we just laid around the loft, talking and trying to get the phonograph to work.

"Michael, didn't Aunt Patch have a garden out back?" Nikki asked.

I nodded.

"It's still there. She worked on it everyday," I replied.

Zak perked up.

"Can we go out and see it?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Come on," I said.

The boys followed me down stairs and to the side patio doors. We crossed the deck, which wrapped around to the back. The sun was just high enough to light up the entire back yard.

"Oh my god, Michael! This place is gorgeous!" Zak said.

There weren't any flowers now, but there were bushes of green and yellow, a birdbath that I placed several crystals and a floating candle in, and the creek, which ran south down the hill and turned east through the yard. There were several large trees, three flaming orange trees, and the others were pine. I had all sorts of gargoyles and other odd decorations laying about the garden. I never tended to the plants. That was all Aunt Patch.

"Thank-you," I said.

Zak seemed mesmerized by the garden. He wondered off the porch and Ernie followed him. When he made it to the creek's little waterfall, he crouched down and stuck his hand in the cold water. I followed him and got down beside him.

"That's natural spring water," I said.

"Michael, this place is beautiful. I can see why you didn't care for Vegas," he said.

I was surprised at him.

"Zak, I never said that," I said.

Zak gave me this look like "Come on, now. You can't bullshit me."

"I could feel it, Mikey," he said.

I frowned. I couldn't help that I didn't like Vegas, but I loved his house and being there with him.

"But I can understand why. I mean, look at this place!" Zak exclaimed, standing back up.

I stood up with him.

"It makes me want to move here. Just the atmosphere alone is amazing!"

"You're so dramatic," I teased.

Zak looked down at me and smiled. He grabbed my sides making me laugh and squirm.

"OH MY GOD, MICHAEL!" I heard Volta shout.

Zak and I turned to see Volta fly off the deck and run out to the old shed in the back of the yard. Zak and I followed him out there.

"What's in here?" Volta asked excitedly.

I smirked.

"What ever do you mean, darling-est cousin?" I asked.

"Michael, I saw little train tracks. Do you still have our trains?"

I smiled and opened the shed to reveal boxes of landscaping tools, wires, G gauge train track, and shelves full of garden locomotives. As kids, Volta and I collected them, for we were railroad crazy back then. It was something our grandpa had gotten us into. When the twins moved away, I kept the trains. When Patch set up the garden, I built the garden railroad, but I hadn't played with it in a good year.

"Michael, this is insane! You even got wireless controls for them. How long had we been talking about getting these?" Volta exclaimed.

"I have eight of them. Patch and I used to race them. I think the batteries are still good," I said, picking up a controller.

"Can we play with them?" Volta asked, dancing around on his tip-toes.

Zak reached up on a shelf and picked up one of my favorite engines.

"Can we? Can we?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Let me go flip the switch and turn the tracks on," I said.

Both Volta and Zak got excited.

"Hey guys!" I called across the backyard.

Nikki, Aaron and Nick looked up from their conversation.

"You guys wanna play?" I asked, holding up a controller.

They didn't know what it was, but they jumped up and ran across the backyard anyway. This was either going to be hella fun, or hella trouble.

Xxx

Zak and Nick were sitting out on the back porch. It was dark out and getting late. They were tired from the day's events and were almost ready to go to bed. Michael, Nikola, Volta, and Aaron were inside playing games on the computer in the loft.

"Well, I'm going to go in and get ready for bed. I'm freaking sleepy," Nick said as he locked his cell phone and got up to stretch.

"Alright, bro. See you in the morning," Zak said.

"Night," Nick yawned and shuffled around the corner to the side doors.

Zak settled deep in Michael's porch swing and stared absently at some of the potted plants on the porch railing. He heard the side porch doors open and expected Michael to come around the corner when he heard Ernie's nails clacking against the wood, but he was surprised to see Volta slowly come around the corner.

"Hey man," Zak said.

"Hey," Volta said shyly.

Zak watched the older twin expectantly. Volta shuffled his feet and took a deep breath before looking up at Zak. Zak noticed he seemed a little troubled, or quite possibly just nervous.

"Can we talk for a second?" Volta asked.

"Sure, man," Zak said.

Volta approached Zak, but didn't sit down. Zak intimidated the twin, even when he was just sitting down, stretched out casually on the swing. Zak sensed Volta's hesitation and just remained open and ready to hear what he had to say.

"I um, I just wanted to say thank-you for coming here and being here for Mikey. I know it means a lot to her," Volta began.

This made Zak smile.

"It's no problem, man," Zak said.

Volta sat down in a rocking chair beside the swing.

"She really seems to like you a lot. Adores you, actually, from what she was telling Nikola," Volta said.

Zak laughed.

"But you know she's had a rough past," he continued.

Zak nodded, his eyebrows knitting together as the conversation turned serious.

"I know. She told me," Zak replied.

It was Volta's turn to nod.

"It's just that, and it's not that I don't trust you with her, but I never want to see her get hurt like she did the last time. You are aware Andrew stabbed her, right?"

Zak's eye widened in horror.

"Fuck! She didn't tell me that!" Zak exclaimed.

"You'd find out sooner or later," Volta said sadly.

"With a knife?" Zak whispered.

He could hear feet moving within the house, so he didn't want Michael to overhear.

"Right in the side. Almost killed her," Volta said.

Zak was shocked. It made him feel even worse for letting Michael stay in the high security room in Lanark.

"I heard he was really abusive to her," Zak said.

"He was horrible. If I had the chance, I would have done something about it," Volta said.

Zak nodded.

"You and me both, man," Zak agreed.

"Zak, I'm telling you this because I never, EVER want to see that happen again."

"Volta, I promised her a long time ago that I would never, EVER let anyone hurt her. I swore I would protect her, and I do my best. Dude, I would never lay a hand on her. That would make me nothing more than, for lack of a better word, a bully. I hate bullies."

Volta nodded. He could see the sincerity on Zak's face, and began to trust him a bit more.

"Bro, I love Mikey with all my heart. She's safe with me, I swear," Zak confessed.

"I believe you. I trust her with you. She's just my cousin. I worry about her, ya know?" Volta said.

Zak leaned over closer to Volta.

"You have nothing to worry about. I will take care of her," Zak said truthfully.

Volta nodded.

"Thanks, man," he said, "That's good to hear."

Zak smiled. In a way, he had received a sort of blessing from the oldest male in Michael's family, since her father really didn't count, and it made him feel accepted in her life. It made him feel a part of her-like a part of him he didn't know was missing was filled.


	21. The Color Purple

Aaron discovered my theater speakers on my computer in the loft. He also discovered the subwoofer. He and Nick had stayed up in the loft and I guess he spotted the woofer under the desk, because the first thing I heard after I woke up was throbbing Dubstep and Zak yelling at Aaron. Aaron was up in the loft dancing and Nikki was busting a move in the living room. It was a nice way to wake up.  
Getting into the bathroom was a chore. When you have six people in one house, and four of them pay special attention to their hair, it was hard to get into the bathroom to get anything done. Zak took the longest, which really didn't surprise me. Gotta have a shower, pick out the right clothes, put contacts in and yell when one didn't want to go in, spike the hair, cleanse the face, and then put the aforementioned clothes on. He took longer than Nikki and I put together.  
When I finally was able to take my turn getting dressed and doing my hair, which literally takes an hour because of all the straightening I have to do, Nikki came running in with the most excited look on his face.

"MICHAEL!" he screamed from the living room.

I flattened a chunk of hair and opened the door so Nikki could come barreling in.

"You have GOT to come see this. This man is so fucking gorgeous!" he said.

"You keep your eyes off my man!" I said playfully, wagging a finger at him.

Nikki yanked me by the arm.

"Come on!" he squealed.

I reluctantly set the flat iron down and followed Nikki down the hall. He led me to the window behind the breakfast nook that overlooked the front porch. I leaned over the table and peeled the blinds apart. Outside, I could see Zak lifting the flat tire off of my truck and Volta rolling the spare over.

"Look at those arms!" Nikki exclaimed.

"Holy shit!" I hissed.

"I hate you so much, Michael," Nikki teased.

"Michael! Stop drooling!" I heard Nick shout from up in the loft.

I spun around and walked into the living room. Nick was looking down at me, grinning.

"Hey!" I called, "I can do it all I want now!"

Nick laughed.

"Nikola! Stop drooling!" we heard Aaron call.

"You shut up, Goodwin!" Nikki snapped and then laughed.

I shook my head and walked back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. Nikki followed after me.

"Michael, are you absolutely sure Zak's not gay. Look at all this product he has for his hair!" Nikki said.

He pulled his skinny butt up on the counter and picked up a bottle of whatever Zak had left out.

"Stop messing with it. He hates it when we mess with his stuff," I said, snatching the bottle of product out of his hands.

Nikki scoffed.

"I just want to see what he used to keep his hair up all day. He has such pretty hare-ruh!"

I laughed as I sprayed my hair.

"How are you not just freaking out over this?" Nikki asked, "You are dating a celebrity!"

I slammed the can of hairspray down on the counter.

"It's not as glamorous as you make it sound, Nikki. I've been living with these guys since like, late July. It's no big deal," I shrugged.

Nikki's big brown eyes popped wide open.

"No big deal? Michael, how can you be so nonchalant about this? You're boyfriend is goddamn Zak Bagans! I mean, what the fuck? You're just like 'Oh, whatever bitch'!"

I tried not to laugh as Nikki rambled. His hands were flying everywhere as he spoke, being way too overdramatic, as always.

"Nikki, I don't even think about it like that! And the boys don't act like that. They're just people. Sure, there are times when Zak has to go blow a load of cash on things he doesn't need but who doesn't do that? That's the only 'celebrity'-ish thing I can think of that he does."

Nikki was staring at me like I was absolutely insane.

"Nikola! It's like any normal relationship. We were close friends and it just evolved," I explained.

Nikki huffed and got on his phone.

"Well, I am happy for you, Cousin. I truly am. I just can't believe how chill you are. I would be all over that man," he said, making me laugh and almost poke my eye out with the mascara brush.

"Don't judge. He's beautiful," he said as he texted away.

I just shook my head and focused on finishing up.

"And strong," Nikki added dreamily, "And so loving. I want someone who cares about me as much as he does you. Girl, you have it made with him!"

"Nikki, shut up," I said.

Nikki laughed.

We got my tire on my truck fixed and I blew a ton of cash filling it up. That was one disadvantage to having a big truck, but I loved it. I would never get rid of it. It's gotten me out of several binds that most cars would meet their maker in.  
Today, we decided to drive the Silverado back to Tulsa. Zak drove and followed me out there. It took all afternoon, but we made it back home in time for dinner. When I came home, I found a clear plastic case on the mantle beside the television. Inside it were Aunt Patch's glasses. The twins, Nick, and Aaron spent all day decorating it with smiley face stickers, fake flowers, and a peace sign. The filled it with little notes and then placed the glasses on top. I thought it was a creative way to preserve Aunt Patch's memory. It was different, but creative, just as Aunt Patch was.  
The next morning was quiet. Even Nikki didn't talk much. I had my mind focused on just remembering how to do my morning routine. The twins clung around me all morning. They didn't even speak with each other. When they weren't around me, the crew was. Nick made breakfast that morning. He told us we'd feel better if we ate. It did help, but it didn't help us keep up much conversation. I couldn't stand it, so while the twins got dressed and Aaron and Nick borrowed my room and the bathroom to change, I slipped into Zak's room, knowing he would speak.  
He was exceedingly affectionate today, and his attentiveness towards me made me feel loved, and I think that's what I had been craving that morning.

We walked into the funeral home in respectful silence. All of the boys looked nice for the occasion. I had never seen Aaron in what I like to call "church clothes," but I think he looked nice. Nikki and Volta both were wearing the exact same clothes-something they have not done since they were little kids. Both of them were in black dress pants and purple dress shirts. It was Patch's favorite color. The crew and I wore all black, but I wore a purple amethyst bracelet I had and the crew wore purple ribbons around their wrists. This was all Volta's idea. They planned this while Zak and I were in Tulsa. I thought it was the best idea ever.  
Nick and Aaron had gone all out for the twins. They bought flowers to place on the casket. I was wondering why they had called Zak and discussed types of flower, then asked me what Patch's favorite flower was. I will admit, it was unusual bringing in bouquets of fake sunflowers into the funeral home, but it was for Patch, and that's all that mattered.  
The plan was for us cousins to go in, then the crew, but Zak requested if he could go in and have a moment by himself instead. We told him that he may, so Nick and Aaron went in first. Now, they didn't hardly know Aunt Patch, but they wanted to pay their respects anyways. The twins and I went next.  
Volta and I stood as far away from the casket as possible. Even though it was closed, we were fully aware of what was in there. Volta didn't want to talk, and I was having a hard time remembering how to talk. Nikki spoke to Patch first.

"Hi, Aunt Patch," he whispered.

Poor boy was already crying his eyes out.

"I miss you. We all miss you, Patch. I can't believe you're gone," Nikki said, then sniffed and took a moment before he continued, "I just, um, just wanted to say thank-you, Patch, for everything. For teaching me that it was okay to be who I am and that I shouldn't worry about being judged. You were right."

Nikki let out a small laugh.

"Gay boys do have more fun," he said.

That made me and Volta smile.

"You were an inspiration. I wish we had spent more time together. I love you," he said.

He untied the ribbon from his wrist and tied it around the casket's handle. I noticed that Nick and Aaron had untied their ribbons and retied them around their bouquets. I was the only one without a ribbon. I had something else.

"Nikki, can you do me a favor?" I asked.

Nikki turned to me.

"Sure, honey boo. What is it?" he asked.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a photo I had taken after the boys had gone to bed. It was of the case with her glasses. On the back, I had written in purple marker "I love you," then signed my name. None of the boys had known I had taken the picture.  
Volta and I walked up to the casket.

"Can you open the lid in a minute?" I asked.

Nikki nodded. Volta reached over and bent the picture slightly to look.

"That's beautiful, Michael," he commented.

"Thank-you," I whispered.

I sat the photo on the top of the casket on the flowers and stood for a moment, blankly staring at the polished wood. While I was quiet, Volta reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of large stickers like the ones they had used on the case. He peeled off a rainbow peace sign and stuck it to the lid.

"Hippy life forever," he whispered.

I smiled and picked my photo back up.

"Goodbye, Patchouli," I whispered.

Nikki tried to suppress a laugh. We had called her that once on Christmas just to get a rise out of her. It later became her name on MySpace until she got bored with it and shut it down.  
Nikki opened the heavy lid and I stuffed the photo in blindly while keeping my eyes on the ceiling. Volta tied his ribbon to the handle and kissed the lid. I sat my head on it for a second before we left to let Zak have some time to say goodbye.  
When Zak went in, I felt this weird feeling in the air around us. It was an electrical charge that I had felt several times during lockdowns. I didn't think much of it, though, until Nick nudged me with his elbow.

"Look at my arm," he whispered.

He rolled his sleeves up and I saw very pronounced goosebumps. Aaron slapped Nick and silently showed him his own goosebumps. Nick looked up at Aaron, shocked. Aaron had this look on his face that said "Dude, I don't think we're alone."

"Do you think this is happening because Zak went in there?" Nick whispered to me.

"What if she knows he's here? She knew how he was. She watched the show," I whispered.

"What if she's trying to communicate?" Aaron whispered.

"How?" Nick asked.

Aaron pointed to the door to the viewing room.

"He's like a ghost whisperer! He may act as a trigger object. What if she wants to tell us something and she can only do it through, Zak?"

"Aaron, stop. This isn't the time. If Patch is around, that's fine, but we cannot just bust out and do an investigation right now," Nick said.

"You may be right, though, Aaron. We'll never know for sure," I whispered to him.

Aaron's excitement died down. I silently wondered if she was here. I didn't connect well with spirits, but I hoped that if she really was around, she would tell Zak.  
Later on at the cemetery, I got a text message out of no where. I had no idea who in the world would be texting me, because everyone I talked to was here with me. When I opened the text, my heart stopped.

"Zak, come here," I said.

Zak stopped walking to the grave and came back over to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I handed him my phone. I couldn't look at it.

"Hey, love. Remember my friend June from California? She's come down for the weekend so we're going to go see a concert in Little Rock. Hope you're having fun. Stay safe. Oh! Ernie is taken care of. It'll be an overnight trip. See you on Thanksgiving. Tell the boys I said hi," Zak read out loud.

"Why am I just now getting that?" I asked.

Zak moved his finger and scrolled down.

"This was sent the night we were in Canada. The text probably didn't go through until now," he said.

He handed my phone back to me.

"That's why the gate was locked," I said.

"No wonder Ernie was so upset," Zak murmured.

I locked my phone and slipped it back into my pocket. Zak put a comforting arm around my shoulders and we rejoined the group.

Xxx

That night, I sat cross-legged on my bed surfing the web on my laptop. The twins were asleep in the living room. Aaron had crashed early on the loft futon and Nick had just gotten out of the shower and was making his way upstairs. I was looking around on random websites like YouTube when Zak came in. He flopped over backwards on my bed, his nose in his phone.  
I switched over to Twitter to check and see what the people I was following were doing. Aaron and Billy had talked me into signing up for Twitter several months ago, and I followed all of the boys. However, I never tweeted. I just like to watch. I noticed that Zak had posted a picture several hours ago, and being curious as to what in the world he could have posted since he was here, I clicked on it. I really thought it was going to be the backyard or maybe a point of view shot from driving yesterday. I hoped it wasn't a candid shots of us wrecking the trains. But, when I the photo loaded, I was shocked.  
It was an older photo that I knew had been taken several weeks ago, some time before Halloween. I had completely forgotten we had taken it. It was the picture Zak took when I first visited his house: the one of me, him and Gracie. When I scrolled down and read the caption, my heart jumped into my throat.

"My two girls. They're amazing and I couldn't ask for more. Love you Mikey and Gracie!"

I looked over the screen at Zak, who was texting away on his phone.

"Oh my God, Zak!" I exclaimed.

His head snapped over to me.

"What?"

I turned the laptop around to face him and pointed to the picture. Zak smiled when he saw it.  
"Yeah, I found that this morning," he said sleepily.

He locked his phone and moved it to the side. I closed my laptop and set it down on the nightstand.

"Can you set my phone over there, babe?" he asked, sitting up and holding his phone out.

I took it and set it beside the laptop. Zak was looking over at the vanity mirror when I launched myself across the bed and yanked him into a hug.

"Shit, Mikey."

"Thank-you, Zak," I said.

Zak put his arms around me, his head nuzzled into the side of mine.

"For what, sweetie?"

For what? What do you mean "for what?"

"For everything," I replied.

We "unhugged" but he wouldn't let me go. His blue eyes, wide open in the dim light of my room, were boring into me and making me slightly self-conscious. I felt suddenly shy and looked down at my fingers, habitually picking at them.

"You're the best," I murmured.

I wasn't watching him, so I was caught off guard when he leaned in and kissed me. He cupped my face to keep my head tilted upwards. I put my arms around his neck. He broke away and pressed his forehead against mine.

"You're my hero, Mikey," he said.

I smiled.

"Oh, whatever," I said, making him laugh.

"It's true," he said.

He reached down and took my hands into his.

"How in the hell are you able to still put a smile on your face with all the shit you've been through?" he asked.

I looked down at our hands and shrugged.

"I just think it's incredible-how you hold your ground and stay strong," he went on.

"It's a self-taught talent, I guess. I had to be strong for myself. Weakness was never an option. Gets you in trouble," I said.

There was something I never told Zak, and I never planned on telling him. When he found out I would explain, of course. But that something was a result of doubting myself.

"Honey, you don't have to do that anymore. You have Nick and Aaron. Billy...and me," Zak said.

I had a strange warmth spread through my chest.

"Sometimes I envy you," Zak smirked.

"Not as envious as I am of you," I argued.

Zak raised a playful eyebrow.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because you've made an awesome impact on so many people's lives. Not to mention mine."

Zak smiled and leaned in to kiss me again, then hugged me tightly.

"I love you, Michael."

I turned my head and kissed his cheek.

"Love you, too."

Never did I think I would find someone who made me this happy. I loved how Zak made me feel like I was on top of the world-like I was loved and cared for.

...Wait. Why did that remind me of something I needed to do?

"You look a little perplexed, Mikey," Zak said, looking down at me with a smile.

"I just remembered something I've forgotten," I said.

"Oh?"

"Except, I can't remember what I've forgotten."

This was straight up Neville Longbottom Syndrome.

"Backtrack your thoughts," Zak said.

I thought back over what I had been thinking. Love. Cared for...OH. MY. GOD!

"Holy hell! Fuck!" I cursed.

Zak looked worried as I pulled away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I looked frantically around, then back at him.

"Where do you think she is?" I asked.

Zak was obviously confused.

"Who?" he asked.

I slid off the bed and walked over to my closet to dig out some shoes and a jacket.

"Michael, what are you doing?"

"Patch! We gotta go find her," I said.

Zak got off the bed, shaking his head.

"Michael, baby, what are you talking about?" he asked.

I threw my jacket on and turned to Zak.

"Zak, I know you think I'm crazy, but I need to talk to her. I have something I never got to tell her," I explained.

Zak sighed and looked over at the clock on my vanity.

"It's nearly eleven. I would suggest we go out to the cemetery, but the gates are probably closed," he said.

I made a "pfft" sound as I pulled a scarf around my neck.

"That's never stopped me before," I said.

Zak looked wild eyed at me.

"What? How do you think I got all of those tombstone silhouette shots?" I asked.

Zak smiled and shook his head.

"What did you need to tell her, sweetheart? You already said goodbye," he said.

I buttoned up my jacket.

"Zak, you of all people should know that when something in someone's life is left undone, their spirit will not be at rest. Am I wrong?"

Zak shook his head.

"No, that's absolutely true," he replied

"I made a promise to Patch that meant a lot to her. I gotta just...make sure she knows. I mean, we could easily say she's watching and she knows but I want to make sure so I know she's at peace."

Zak nodded understandingly.

"Of course, babe," he said.

"You wouldn't happen to have any gear with you, do you?" I asked.

Zak crossed his arms over his chest and smiled smugly.

"There's a PX in my bag," he said.

A PX device is a piece of equipment that is programmed with a large vocabulary that spirits can use to speak through. It was a little bit less noisy than the spirit box.

"Go get it. We'll take my truck," I said.

"Do you want to take a digital recorder, too?" he asked.

I thought about it for a minute before deciding.

"Nah," I said, "if she does have anything to say, I only want to hear it once."

Zak nodded and left my room to go get it. I turned off my lights and grabbed Zak's phone off of the nightstand before grabbing my own phone and keys and following him out.  
The cemetery was a tiny little rural cemetery on the neighboring mountain. I picked that one because it was beautiful and had this dainty charm that one would find in very old cemeteries. Plus, it exploded with wildflowers in the spring. I knew Patch would have liked it.  
I drove alongside the bent wrought iron fence to the back of the cemetery that climbed uphill. I parked the truck and led Zak into the darks woods. I led the way with my little flashlight around a fat pine tree. We pushed through the overgrowth and came inside the cemetery. We walked in silence to Patch's grave. The area smelled of upturned dirt. Our pile of fake flowers sat on top of the dirt mound behind a pink tombstone.  
We stood in front of it. I was waiting on the cold air to shift and turn electric, but it didn't.

"The PX is on," Zak announced.

"Okay," I said, then faced the tombstone, "Hey Aunt Patch. It's Michael and Zak."

The PX said nothing.

"Are you here with us, Patch?" Zak asked.

There was nothing but wind. I looked down at her stone.

"I don't know if you're around or you can hear me right now, Patch, but I just wanted to tell you that I kept my promise," I said.

I looked up at Zak and reached down to lace my fingers with his.

"I found that nice Vegas boy you were talking about," I said.

Zak had this gorgeous, loving smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. The PX squeaked loudly, making Zak and I jump. Zak shivered.

"Patch, are you here? You can speak with us through this device, you know," Zak said.

I had the chills like crazy. I knew why wouldn't hear her actual voice, but I was ready to flip out with happiness if that thing spoke.

"Zak," the PX said.

I put my hand over my mouth as I stared at the device in his slender fingers. I looked up at him. He was smiling.

"Michael," the PX said.

"Did that just say our names?" I asked in disbelief.

Zak squeezed my hand.

"Yes, sweetheart," he said.

We waited for a moment for more, and what the PX said next gave me the closure I needed.

"Love you."

"Holy cow," Zak breathed out.

I hugged Zak's arm and laid my head on it.

"It said 'Zak. Michael. Love you.' Do you think she's trying to say 'Zak, Michael, I love you.'?" Zak wondered.

I nodded.

"I think she's pleased," I said softly.

Zak looked down at me.

"What?" I asked.

He smiled at me.

"I think she's proud of you," he said.

I blinked a few times and bit my lip.

"Stop. You're going to make me cry again. I was doing so good," I said.

Zak laughed and threw his arms around me.

"Don't cry. You had the right idea, doing this," he said.

We stood there in the cold for a long time, still stuck in a hug. Before we left, Zak thanked Patch for speaking with us. I felt good as we left and returned to the truck. I knew Patch was still around, so I had not been left completely abandoned in Arkansas. But I had Zak now. I didn't have to ever worry about being alone.


	22. Transition Chapter

Volta and Nikki left after the funeral to head back to Dallas. Nick and Aaron rode together to the airport to catch their own flights home. Zak, however, stayed. Thanksgiving was approaching, so he wanted to stay with me and keep me company. I welcomed it. I would have gone with the twins for Thanksgiving, but they always travelled to their grandparents in Florida for the holiday. But having Zak spend Thanksgiving with me was great.  
We didn't do much during the time Zak stayed over. We shopped in town, of course. I took him to explore the cliff behind the house. He had been getting stir crazy, so I thought climbing the rocks would be good physical activity for him. He helped me out a lot with getting some of Aunt Patch's utilities and services shut down like her cell phone and such. We moved the Airstream down the hill and got everything out of it. I wasn't sure what I was going to go with it. I could fix the floor and use it for storage, but man, I knew that was going to be a lot of work and I would not have time to do it. Zak suggested I remove some of the painted cabinet doors and sell the thing. That sounded like a good idea, but I knew the axles were bad and the whole thing was uninhabitable, so I decided that when I got some time, I would just sell it for scrap and use the extra cash for Christmas.  
Having Zak around for the next few weeks was a lot of fun. When he wasn't trying to catch up on work through the computer, we would play around on YouTube, lay around and watch movies, talk, and play (yeah, we played hard like little kids). Zak played with Ernie a lot, too. I knew he missed Gracie, but he had planned on leaving out after Thanksgiving. I was sad, but he had things he needed to do.  
On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up extremely early and started cooking. Zak woke up later on and helped me out. We bought way too much and made way too much. I knew that the meal we had prepared could easily feed a group of ten or more. We were pigs. I personally loved turkey. I only had it once a year, so when I ate it, a good half of the bird would be gone. Zak was not as big of an eater as me, but he still ate enough to put anyone in a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner food coma.  
We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade that morning. It was something I had made a tradition out of when my grandparents were still around. It was a way to pass the time before it was time to eat. As a kid, I would get so excited to see a balloon that was of a character I liked, such as Spongebob or Charlie Brown. I also liked watching the marching bands. Zak would sit and make fun of some of the guest singers. Most of them were from Disney, and even though I didn't mind Disney, these little teenagers who think they can sing are sorely mistaken.  
Zak and I Facetimed (if that's even a verb) with people a lot during his visit. I had never used the application before, so it was a little strange when I saw Aaron's big face on Zak's laptop screen and then mine and Zak's in the corner. On Thanksgiving Day, we Facetimed with Nick and Annabelle. She was adorable. It was awkward, though. I really don't like children and they don't like me, so speaking to Annabelle and trying to get her to smile instead of get upset and have Nick mad at me was a little hard.  
We called up Billy just to say hi. He was really busy, but he was glad we had called. I texted the twins throughout the day. They were at their grandparents house bored out of their minds. The Roberts side of their family were very old-fashioned and only had the TV on when something such as the parade was airing. Other than that, there was no computers and Uncle Daren had them leave their cell phones in the van. Nikki said that sat in the living room all day long and talked about people who died. They didn't bring up Aunt Patch in front of the twins, but I'm sure it was discussed.  
Speaking of people to discuss, Zak's mother! We Facetimed her Thanksgiving night. I didn't want to, but Zak forced me to get off my butt and at least say hi. He knew I was really shy, and speaking to his mother just...well, it didn't give me the creeps, because that's not how it was, but it was just weird. In my mind, the conversation would have been along the lines of "Hey! I've kissed your son. Blah blah blah." Just...bizarre. Talking with her, though, really was not that big of a deal. Now, I was shocked when I saw her. Zak's 35 years old, and this woman in no way, shape, or form looked old enough to have a son at that age! Belinda, my mother, looked older than Zak's. But I saw where Zak got his amazing smile and flawless complexion from.  
Anyways, his mother was really nice. I actually think she was surprised when she saw me. I didn't dare tell her how old I was, but I don't think she could tell my age. I sure as hell couldn't tell hers! But when she saw me, she had this flash of surprise sweep across her face before she spoke. Zak introduced as his girlfriend that she just _had_ to meet. Of course, Zak didn't tell her who it was and I knew she had seen me on the show. Her Friday nights were dedicated to watching her son on TV, which made me smile.  
I was in the loft printing off pictures to put in my frames and listening to "The Wizard of Oz" on the Victor phonograph when I heard Zak's voice carry through the living room and bounce off the vaulted ceiling. I was sitting in the floor removing the back off of one of the collage frames when I heard him say "Hey, Mom." I craned my neck to look through the railing and down to where Zak was sitting on the couch watching television. I spotted the glow from his laptop, so I figured he must have been Facetiming. The fact that he would go ahead and video chat with her rather than call was heartwarming.  
The talked for a while as I slipped in the pictures of the crew into the frame. When I was done, I left the frame propped up against the wall to hang later. At the moment, I was hungry (shocking!) and wanted to make a turkey sandwich with the leftover turkey meat.

"Where are you at? That doesn't look like your house. Are you guys working?" I heard Zak's mom ask.

"That's something I wanted to talk to you about. I want you to say hi to my girlfriend," he said.

I was climbing down the stairs when I heard that. I stopped dead on the middle step and quickly sat down to hide just in case I was in the frame of his webcam.

"Oh! Is that where you are right now?" his mother asked.

"Yeah. She had a family tragedy so I'm staying with her," he said.

I heard his mother gush.

"That is so sweet of you, son. Well, where is she? Let me see her," she said.

Oh God! No, no, no! I'm busy, Zak!

"Babe!" Zak called.

I bit my nails.

"Babe, can you come down here please?"

I groaned and hauled myself to my feet, hopping quickly down the stairs to cause a blur in case I could be seen.  
I shuffled down into the living and stayed near the east wall, as far from Zak and his computer as I could get.

"What is it?" I asked, playing dumb.

Zak raised an eyebrow at me. He tilted his chin his and looked up at me over the rims of his glasses. He waved a finger, gesturing for me to come over there. His lips curled up into this little scheming grin as if he really had some evil plan up his sleeve.  
"Come meet my mom."

I let my shoulders drop and walked over to him with my figurative tail between my legs. Zak playfully yanked me down onto the couch with him and put his arms around me so I couldn't escape. I saw Zak's mother shock when she saw me. At first, I thought she may have been surprised to see someone who didn't look like Zak's exes, but I was wrong.

"Oh my gosh! It's Michael!" she exclaimed.

Zak laughed.

"Well, I should have known. Michael, how are you, sweetie?"

I smiled at her.

"I'm good," I replied.

Zak buried his nose into the crook of my neck through my hair.

"Zak, stop. No PDA while I'm trying to talk to you two," his mother scolded.

I laughed and Zak pouted.

We talked to her for a good hour or so. I liked her, and I could kind of see where Zak got some of his overprotective "mom" tendencies.  
Two days after Thanksgiving, Zak left for the airport to catch the next flight to Las Vegas. It was hard to part with him after spending so much time with him, but I only had a month and a half to wait. I could do that, right?  
The first night by myself was weird. I had to leave the TV on in the living because the house was just too quiet. I had been used to that, but with not having someone around, it was strange. Ernie's loud snoring didn't even fill in the sound I had become used to at night. I had gotten used to the twins murmuring in the living room and the bumping and snoring from the loft where Nick and Aaron stayed. Passing by Zak's room, as I had come to call it now, was even stranger with no suitcases everywhere. My bathroom and the kitchen were spotless, which just threw me off completely.  
I was really missing ghost adventuring too. Zak had been right about how addicting it was. I wanted to do another lockdown again. I wanted to capture something and make the boys proud. I think that alone was the most addicting part. It was already exhilarating to review your shots and capture something unexplained, but even more so to receive approving smiles, words, and hugs from the crew. That was my goal: to please.  
Aaron texted me everyday to see what I was up to. Sometimes he would call if he got the chance. Nick called me once to see how I was doing. It was nice, but I really missed seeing their faces and even more so, participating in vlogs and shenanigans. Zak texted me every morning and called me every night. We talked for a couple of hours about everything and nothing. I guess both were equally interesting. But talking on the phone and sessions of Facetime were not the same as being in person, and it was starting to wear on me. No, I'm not one of those girls who lay around and mope because their boyfriend or husband was gone somewhere. I knew better than that. I was just used to them being around, and being alone was starting to bother me. The only way I could describe it is it's like when you're scratched by an unseen force and they're forever in your blood. I had been metaphorically marked by the Crew, and there was no going back.  
By the second week of December, I had had enough of a quiet house with nothing to do. I had cleaned the house until it was spotless. I gave Ernie a bath, which was an entire afternoon chore. I got every last picture edited and sent in. I got the Airstream hauled off and sold for scrap. It made more than I was hoping. I even ripped out the fencing behind where the trailer had been and scrapped it with the trailer. For the sheer hell of it, I even went out and detailed my truck. I was just that bored.  
The first Monday of the second week of December, I packed up my suitcase, my essentials and Ernie and hauled ass to Texas. Nikki was delighted I was coming down. I stayed with him at his house for two weeks. While Nikki worked, I went over to Volta's work and helped out around the shop. It was a fun change for me.  
When Nikki was off, we went shopping at Northpark, which became an every other day thing. We shopped for things for us, things for Christmas-everything! I felt obligated to get Zak some little something for Christmas. He had already done so much for me. It was only right. However, some little something turned into five bigger somethings, which ended up turning into 20 somethings not only Zak, but the rest of the Crew as well. It was one of those things where you see something you think somebody might like or need, then you end of buying it and buying something to go with it or something else that you think would have caught their eye. However, that was nothing compared to Nikki's Christmas shopping. A thousand dollars was gone in a matter of hours. However, every gift he bought was something useful and he knew the receiver would love it. He gave the best gifts.  
Nikki and I were at Northpark ONCE AGAIN shopping for Volta (that kid is so, so, so hard to shop for) when I got a phone call. To my surprise and delight, it was Zak. Christmas was in a week, so he should not have been surprised when he asked what I was doing. Shopping. Duh. I was surprised, however, when he asked if I would like to fly out to Vegas and spend Christmas with him. We had him on speakerphone in the food court when he asked this. Nikki's eyes grew to the size of baseballs and his jaw became unhinged. He slapped his hands over his mouth and started bouncing and squealing.

"Oh-oh-oh! Oh my God, Michael! This is huge!" he hissed.

"Isn't!" I argued.

When Zak said that Volta and Nikki were more than welcome to come too, Nikki about fainted. I didn't answer right away. Of course my reply was going to be yes, but it was like Nikki said. This was huge.

"Oh my God, Michael. Guuurl, you say yes this instant or so help me-"

"Nikola!" I hissed, "Shut up!"

I put my phone back up to my face.

"Are you sure you want those two idiots at your house?" I asked.

Zak laughed.

"I'm not spending Christmas with Elena again! Tell that man yes!" Nikki demanded.

Yes, he called his mother by her name. Disrespectful, but I called my "mother" by her name. Shouldn't be such a bitch, I guess.  
...God, I've been around Nikki too long!

"Michael, it's fine. It'll be us, Aaron and his girlfriend, and the twins Christmas Day," he replied, "You in?"

"Michael!" Nikki shrieked, slamming his hands down on the table.

I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Yes, yes, yes. We're in, Zak," I replied.

Nikki stood up from his chair so fast it fell over backwards with a loud clang. I burst out laughing as Nikki spun around out area with his arms spread out wide singing "Joy to the World" in this horrendous opera voice.

"Is that Nikola doing that?" Zak asked.

He was laughing too.

"I think you just made his Christmas wishes come true," I said.

"I do my best. What's your Christmas wish this year?" he asked.

I thought about it as I received strange looks for my cousin's behavior.

"I don't know. Is it cliché to say 'you'?" I asked.

I knew Zak had to be smiling.

"That's kind of what I was going to say. That and world peace," he said jokingly.

"Oh, well that goes without saying!" I said, playing along.

Zak and I laughed. When I laughter died, he was quiet.

"I really miss you, sweetheart. I can't wait until filming starts again. We already have these amazing locations set up. I can't wait to see the pictures you take," he said.

My heart sunk.

"I miss you too, Zak," I said.

"Mikey, don't sad so sad. One more week. And the tickets are paid for. I took care of everything. Even the stuff for Ernie. Everything's ready to go," he said.

"That's so sweet of you," I said.

I couldn't see him, but I had a feeling he was smiling. I sure was!

"I'll see you soon. Aaron is going to retrieve you guys at the airport. I'm stuck with having Christmas dinner at my parents' house, so until I get done, you're stuck with him. I know that's kind of shitty and all."

"Zak it's fine. Don't worry. We'll get it all sorted out. I love you."

"I love you too, Mikey. Tell Nikki I said hi and bye. I gotta go. See you next week," he said.

God, that sounded so good to my ears!

"Alright. Bye, Zak."

"Bye, babe."

Christmas in Vegas was insane! Nikki and Volta loved it. I got that weird feeling when we landed. Vegas...yuck.  
When Aaron drove us over to Zak's, I get so nervous I began fidgeting. It had been nearly a month since I had seen him. Nikola was bouncing off the walls. It caused Volta to get mad.

"Nikola! STOP!" Volta barked.

"You stop!" Nikki squeaked.

"Both of you, knock it off right now!" I snapped.

"I will pull over! Don't try me!" Aaron said playfully.

The twins pouted. Aaron leaned over to me.

"You know Zak's done nothing but talk about you since he returned home," Aaron said.

That made me even more nervous.

"Did you miss your babyboogeysmoochiemoogaboobo o?" Aaron asked as he pinched me cheeks.

I retracted from him and swatted his hand away.

"Stop it!" I said.

"Babybooga what?" Volta asked.

"Oh my God, Michael! Please tell me you do not call him that!" Nikki exclaimed.

"No, I don't!" I said.

"What do you call him?" Aaron asked curiously.

"Zakky?" Volta asked.

"Not even that! I don't have a name for him," I said.

Nikki unbuckled his seat belt and propped himself on the console between Aaron and I.

"Michael Tesla Wilde, we are going to find a pet name for him if it's the last thing we do!" he said, poking the leather console with his boney finger in an effort to emphasize his demand.

"He doesn't need a damn pet name, Nikki!" I griped.

"Yeah, Nikki!" Volta agreed.

"Why the hell not?" Nikki exclaimed.

"Zak's not a pansy!" Volta snapped.

Nikki and I stared at Volta in shock. "Pansy" was the harshest word I had ever heard to come out of his mouth.

"Says the one who is _still_ single!" Nikki retorted.

I hugged Nikki's tiny arm.

"But he's the epitome of manliness," I said playfully, adding a lisp at the end of "manliness."

"That's not always true, Mikey," Aaron laughed.

"Jizz," was all Nikki had to say to that.

Aaron and Volta laughed. Nikki put an arm around me and brushed my hair with his fingers.

"I'm not doing this to annoy you, honey. I want you to have the perfect relationship with this man. Pet names are part of it," he said.

I turned to Nikki.

"I disagree, but thank-you, Cousin," I said.

Nikki smiled. I was thankful that I had Nikki to help me out, even if he was being very typical and overly romantic.  
We didn't knock on the door when we arrived. Aaron knew the code to the garage, so we went on it. When we emerged in Zak's man cave, where we found him playing pool with Gracie, Ernie and I went barreling in. Zak snatched me up and literally held me with my feet hanging off the ground. He kissed me hard.

"My God, Zak! Did you miss me that much?" I asked.

Zak smiled.

"You have no idea," he said.

Christmas was amazing! There was just one thing missing.

Zak and I stood outside in the dark by his waterfall snuggled together as we watched airplanes fly over.

"You know what would make this better?" Zak asked.

"What?" I asked.

Zak looked down at me and smiled.

"Snow," he replied.

I smiled. I was thinking the same thing.


	23. The Secret Location

Zak and Aaron were laying on Aaron's living room floor trying to brainstorm.

"Graceland!" Aaron suddenly blurted out.

Zak tilted his head to the side to look at his friend.

"Graceland? Are you serious?" Zak asked monotonously.

Aaron shrugged.

"She likes Elvis. Who knows, bro? An investigation at Graceland could be a lot of fun," he said.

"I like Elvis too, but no. That's just dumb," Zak criticized.

Aaron huffed and crossed his arms. The boys had left an open spot in their schedule for a special first of the season episode location. They wanted it to be something Michael could enjoy, since the last two lockdowns of the previous season had been a disaster.

"Elvis's house? The one in Tupelo?" Aaron asked.

Zak growled in frustration and gripped the sides of his head with his hands.

"No! No Elvis. Think of cemeteries! She likes outdoor lockdowns," Zak said.

"It's too cold right now to do those," Aaron complained.

"I can't even think of any we could do! We've done them all," said Zak.

An idea suddenly popped into Aaron's head. Not saying anything, he rolled over and crawled over to his laptop sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing?" Zak asked, looking up at him.  
"Bro, remember that creepy picture Mikes had of that gravesite. The one with the beads all over it and the cow and horse skulls. What was that place called?" Aaron asked.

"Eureka Springs," Zak said simply.

Michael had talked nonstop about the place from time to time. She and her Aunt Patch had taken trips there all the time. The name was familiar with Zak, for they had gotten several investigation suggestions from fans on the Ghost Adventures website to visit Eureka Springs, Arkansas. However, they had just never gotten around to making arrangements.

"Yes! That's it! Let's go there!" Aaron said excitedly.

"Why? TAPS has already investigated that one hotel everyone talks about," Zak said.

"And Ghost Lab has investigated Tombstone. What's the difference?" Aaron asked.

Zak glared at Aaron.

"Bro, think about it. Michael loves that town! She's hunted there before and she knows the claims. She could have some spotlight if we go there," Aaron said.

Zak sat up and groaned.

"Plus, there's more than just the hotel. According to Mikey, there were three or four, as well as the cemetery."

"Aaron, I really don't know about this," Zak said.

"She will love you forever when you tell her what we're up to," Aaron quickly interjected.

Zak's eyes widened. By the way Michael had talked about the town, one would have thought that she would have moved there. She knew everything, every street, every restaurant, and every ghost. If they went, she would have to do very little research and have more time to be with the guys.

"That town is her most favorite place on Earth," Zak murmured.

Aaron rushed Zak and crouched down beside him on the floor.

"It could be a huge secret. Like, a big early Christmas present or something!"

Zak thought for a moment before a mischievous smirk crossed his face.

"She is always wanted to prove TAPS wrong. That's not what we do, but she can," Zak said.

Aaron punched Zak in excitement.

"Bro, she can co-host the episode!" Aaron exclaimed.

Zak's smirk widened.  
"I like how you think, Goodwin," he said.

Aaron smiled victoriously.

Xxx

"Michael, just stay put. We're coming down there to get you."

"What do you mean you're coming down here?"

"There's no need to fly out to Vegas. We'll fly out there to get you."

"Why?" I exclaimed.

"Because! Don't get mad at me! They just told me to tell you that," Billy squeaked out.

"Who?" I asked darkly.

"The guys!" he exclaimed.

I roughly yanked my chair out of underneath my desk and slammed myself down in it.

"You listen here, Billy Tolley! I'm getting sick and tired of not being able to get any information out of anyone! You better have some details for me or I'm going fly out there anyway and kick someone's ass!"

Okay. So here's the deal. I'm pissed, obviously. January 15th was the day we were supposed to all meet up and begin pre-season preparations. It didn't happen that way. I was cool with it. A tad bit agitated, but cool until I couldn't get answers out of anyone. I had no schedule. No travel plans set up. No nothing! It was ridiculous! I had to call up the network for answers!

"Michael! It's not my fault! I'm pissed too! They haven't told me anything. All I know is that we'll be arriving tomorrow morning to pick you up, so please have your gear ready," Billy said.

Today is February 4th. I haven't seen the guys since fucking Christmas. But you figured everyone and everything would be prepared since things got delayed, but no.

"I would be a little more prepared if I had an itinerary!" I snapped.

I had to get my research done for the blog. How the hell was I supposed to do that when I didn't have a list of places to look up?

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't have one either. I'm just as in the dark as you are," he said.

Now that was strange. Billy left in the dark? What was going on?

"Is something going on, Billy? Something the guys don't want me knowing?" I asked.

"Nothing is going on. They're just being really secretive. What I don't understand is why they have to keep secrets from me," he said.

I sighed.

"Well, I guess we'll find out sooner or later," I grumbled.

"Have you tried calling Zak? I tried to discuss our next lockdown, but he just kind of gave me the cold shoulder. Like, I don't know if he meant to be cold to me, but it sure seemed like it."

What the hell was Zak's problem?

"I talked to him last night and he sounded fine," I said.

"I don't know, Michael. Ever since we began getting ready, he's gotten more and more distant from me. Aaron too," Billy said.

"That's really weird. What about Nick? Have you heard from Nick?" I asked.

"He's in the same little boat. Though, I don't think they told him as much, whatever it was," Billy said.

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. All this freaking out was giving me a headache.

"Okay. Well, I'll call Zak and talk to him. I'll see if I can get back to you. Maybe I can get him to talk," I said.

I heard Billy sigh through the phone.

"Okay," he said softly, "Thanks, Mikey."

"Welcome. I'll see you later," I said.

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I put my phone down, leaned back and stared at it. I was bothered by Billy's tone of voice. He sounded kind of sad, and I wondered what Zak had or had not said that could have quite possibly hurt Billy's feelings. And had he said Aaron was in on it, too? Aaron was always in on prank's, but never something that would hurt one of us. Zak wasn't like that either, but his way of doing certain things was sometimes not the kindest.  
I snatched up my phone and impulsively called Nick.

"Mikey!" Nick happily answered.

My boiling anger cooled at the sound of Nick's voice. It was just one of those voices that instantly calmed me down. I think it was his tone. It was quite similar to Volta's. Maybe that was it.

"Hey, Nick," I said, almost in a disappointed tone.

"What's up?" he asked.

"That's what I was wanting to know," I said flatly as I reached for my mouse and moved the arrow over to open my email.

"Uh-oh. I don't like that tone," Nick said.

I opened my email and found nothing. Again. For the 800th time in the passed twelve hours.

"Yeah. Would you mind telling me what the hell is behind all this secrecy crap? I can't get any information on the new location. Aaron isn't answering his phone. Zak's is turned off, which worries me."

"Oh my God! Are you fucking serious?" he asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

Nick groaned loudly.

"They're going to far with this. Look, Mikes, I have no idea what they're doing or planning or whatever. I really don't think it's something we need to worry _too_ much about."

My heart lifted.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

I could hear some clacking in the background. Keyboard.

"I got an itinerary emailed to me last night," he replied.

I sat straight up in my chair.

"You're shitting me!" I said.

"Nope. But the first lockdown location says TBA," he said.

I tilted my head from side to side, thinking.

"Okay. To be announced. That kind of maybe makes sense since the scheduling got messed up," I said.

"What I don't understand is why I'm not flying to Vegas, but Dallas and then Tulsa. What's up with that? I'm supposed to meet the guys at the airport," he said.

"Apparently, from what Bill told me, y'all are picking me up," I said.

Nick giggled.

"You said y'all. That's adorable," he said.

"Shut up!" I snapped, "This isn't funny. I'm mad!"

"I know, Mikes, I know."

"Why the hell are they keeping Billy in the dark? Of all people!" I exclaimed.

"Did he not get any emails or anything?" Nick asked.

"No!" I said in a higher pitched voice.

"Well, fuck this! Look, I'll send you guys all the information I have. It's not much, but it'll help. Have you given Zak a call? You know, see what's up?"

I laughed this evil, angry laugh that had no underlying tones of amusement what so ever.

"Oh, I'm about to," I growled, "This drama bullshit is stopping right now!"

"Give him hell, Mikes," Nick encouraged.

"Nothing they're doing is going to slip under my nose. No sir!" I said.

Nick laughed.

"Sick 'em, Mikey!"

We shared one more laugh before we said our goodbyes and hung up. Pumped and angry, the worst mood to be in when you call someone, I called Zak. What I got pissed me off.

"Oh! Michael! I'll have to call you back," he said.

"What?" I exclaimed, "No, we're talking about this right now!"\

But he was gone. I texted him.

"_Zak, we really need to talk._"

He called back within seconds.

"Baby, I'm really sorry. What's wrong?" he asked.

My anger flared.

"Would you mind telling me what the fuck is going on?"

"Um, what do you mean?" he asked.

And now I'm pissed.

"Zak, I haven't gotten any information about this lockdown. I'm not prepared because there's no information. Billy thinks you're mad at him. He says you and Aaron turned on him. Nick is really confused because no one has explained anything to him. I swear to God, Zak. I'm going to stop all this drama. You know I can't take bullshit."

I was venomous, aggressive, and nasty. I was also overreacting, and I knew it.

"Babe-"

"This is some bullshit, Zachary!" I snapped.

And I regretted saying that. I had never, ever used his full first name. It made me feel like I was talking down to him, which is something I would never do. I held this man I a fucking pedestal, for crying out loud! Yet here I was, talking to him like he was garbage.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry," I said, "I'm just really stressed out. Ugh!"

"Mikey," he said softly.

This anger, this rage, was something I had picked up from Andrew. He used to chew me down like that all the time, and now I was channeling it.

"I'm such a piece of shit. Zak, I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that. I just, ugh! I forgot who I was talking to."

"You are not a piece of shit. Darling, listen to me. Listen to my voice and my voice only," he said.

It was then I noticed that I was huffing like an angry pit bull. God!

"Calm down. Chill out. It's alright. You have every right to be upset. Will you let me explain?" he asked.

I slumped down to the floor.

"Of course," I said, my voice just above a whisper.

"Okay, our first lockdown I wanted to be special, not only for the fans, but for you since we had to cancel the finale. I found this place and gave them a call and they said that we could investigate there. I didn't tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. I knew if I told Billy, he would let it slip. He's never been good with secrets. When I told him I had kissed you that first time, the whole damn world knew. I mean, it's not like I hadn't wanted to tell the whole world, too, but not immediately like that. You know I don't move fast like that."

"I know," I sighed.

"But I still want this location to be a surprise, so don't be mad, Mikey. Now, it's nothing out of the ordinary, so you don't need to do any special preparation. In fact, you probably won't even need to do much research on it. Pretty easy location," he said.

I smiled. Every since Christmas he had been a handful of surprises. Nothing big or anything, but just spontaneous.

"Good. Hey, Zak?" I asked.

"What is it, honey?" he asked sweetly.

Melting!

"It's been too long. I really miss you," I said.

"I miss you, too. We'll be reunited tomorrow, though. Then we're stuck with each other for a while. How does that sound?"

I laughed.

"Like a dream come true," I said.

We talked for a little while longer. Zak promised he would contact Billy and apologize. I, on the other hand, got to work. I had a new project to go along with the new season, and I was very excited about it.

Xxx

The boys came over the next morning with some rental vans. I was so excited to see them. I hugged all of them, but noticed Zak was missing.

"Where's Zak?" I asked Aaron as I loaded my gear into the back of a van.

"He got carsick," Nick grinned.

They thought it was funny.

"Come on," Aaron said, taking me by the arm, "Let's go see the precious."

He led me around to the first van where Zak was passed out in the second row.

"He didn't puke in the van, did he?" I asked.

"He didn't even really puke. We pulled over and he dry heaved some in the bushes," Nick said.

I frowned. I felt so bad for him. I really didn't want him puking in the van. I couldn't stand barf.

"Well, which way are we headed?" I asked the boys.

Nick sighed, his chest and shoulders heaving as he did so.

"North Arkansas," he replied.

A jolt of horror was sent through me. The Ozarks? He would surely puke driving through there.

"Okay," I replied as I climb up onto the van, "Can we stop at Walgreens or somewhere in town and get some motion sickness medicine? We'll both need it."

Nick nodded.

"Of course, Mikey," he said.

I nodded and thanked him before turning and crawling onto my knees into the floorboard. Zak was wadded up in the seat, fast asleep. I slid an arm under his head and cradled it as my other hand held his cheek. I kissed his cheek, avoiding his lips (even though he had full on kissed me after I puked before). He grunted and peeled his eyes open.

"That's a fantastic sight to wake up to. Hey, Michael," he said sleepily.

I smiled down at him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked, running my fingers along his strong jawline.

Zak's eyes fluttered before smile appeared on his lips.

"Fine," he replied.

"Not sick anymore?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I didn't even throw up. Just gagged. I think it's all in my head," he said.

I nodded. Zak wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in to kiss me. I couldn't be repulsed by gum flavored lips.

"You guys are so gross! Ack!" Aaron exclaimed.

Zak's long fingers ran across my cheek and tangled tightly in my hair, pulling me in even closer until we were nearly smashed.

"Guys, buckle up. We're ready to go," Nick said.

We reluctantly broke apart. But Zak still held onto my face. He smiled sleepily (or dreamily?) and then slowly sat up to let me sit down beside him. When I situated myself, Zak snaked his arms around me and buried his face into the side of my head. I removed one of his arms so I could lace fingers with his. Zak raised his head up and perched his chin on the top of my head. I was sitting kind of sideways in the seat, so my eyes were right on his neck.  
His neck, just as the rest of his skin, was flawless. A long time ago, I would have fought myself forever trying to keep my thoughts at bay and my actions in check, but today, I was going treat myself. I moved under his chin and kissed neck.

"You missed me, didn't you?" he asked softly, his voice vibrating my lips and the end of my nose.

I pulled back.

"You are correct, gorgeous," I replied.

The look on his face made me laugh.

"Shouldn't _I_ be the one to call _you_ that?" he asked.

I frowned at this. It makes me mad, actually, to dwell upon on my exes and think about how they screwed up my view on anything sweet or affectionate from Zak. It really, really bothers me that I can't just love what I hear and what I feel without being reminded of the darkness that accompanied those same things with Graham and with Andrew. It just goes to show you that girls don't forget they were treated-whether that be terribly or wonderfully, because one will always affect the other.  
When I didn't reply from being caught up in my own thoughts, Zak reached up and cupped my face, tilting my head up to make me look at him. His dark blue eyes stared right through me. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his face held a mix of sympathy and frustration.

"I hate how they did this to you. How they made the most beautiful things in life go to shit for you," he murmured.

I looked down.

"Well, don't even think about it," he added quickly, "You know I mean what I say. Today we have a big surprise for you and I want you to be happy, okay?"

Now, this made me smile. I was never happy with Andrew of Graham.

"Zak, there was one thing that neither of them ruined for me," I said.

Zak grinned.

"What is that, babe?" he asked.

"Happiness. True happiness," I said.

Zak hugged me tightly. Today was going to be a good day, as long as Zak had enough Dramamine down him.  
Thirty minutes down the road, Aaron whipped out his camera.

"Ooo! On the count of three, we all should sing the Aaron's Vlog song!" Nick said.

Zak giggled.

"Aaron Vlah! Aaron Vlah!" he sang.

"Yeah, that one! Ready?"

We waited until Nick cued us, then all of us excluding Aaron sang "Aaron Vlah!" Aaron just bowed, making us laugh.  
I went back to scrolling through Zak's music on his phone. We were sharing his earbuds and trying to keep our minds on something other than the impending horror that was the Ozark Mountains. Zak had never been up there. Oh, was he in for it if those pills didn't work!  
I picked something random by deadmau5, since I was getting fed up with searching through his 2,000 and something songs and finding nothing but rap. Apparently I was searching in the wrong spot, but oh well. I sat his phone back in his lap and dug out my own. I had meant to text the twins to see how Ernie was doing and to tell them we were heading out. They decided to keep Ernie while I was out with the boys. I really hated dumping the poor dog on them since Nikki already had two Yorkies and Volta had a Shar Pei, but they decided to trade every two weeks, so I hoped that made things easier.  
We were heading east through Springdale, Arkansas. The sun had moved to the south, lighting up the right side of the van. The sun shone right in on Aaron and Zak. Zak moved to put on his sunglasses. The movement caught my eye and I looked up. That's when I really got a good look at him in the light. His skin was darker than I remembered.  
I removed an earbud from my ear.

"Oh my God! Have you been tanning?" I asked and laughed.

Zak looked over at me in horror.

"What? No!" he said, lamely trying to play it off, even though it was achingly obvious that he wasn't and really enjoyed this attention.

"You are ORANGE!" I said.

"He tried to get me to go with him," Aaron spoke up from the front seat.

"Shut up, Aaron!" Zak said.

While Zak was distracted by Nick and Aaron, I took the moment to be sneaky and opened the camera app on my phone.

"Look here, big boy," I said.

Zak automatically did as he was told without thinking. I pressed the capture button and got a pretty decent snapshot of Zak and his glorious tan.

"What the hell, Michael?"

I giggled.

"I should send this to Nikki. He would pass OUT!" I said.

"Delete that," he said sternly.

"But it's a really good picture!" I argued.

I turned the phone around and showed him, but kept it out of reach.

"Hey, Mikey! We should make a scrapbook of Zak and put that in there," Nick said jokingly.

"No! Michael, delete that right now," Zak commanded, now kind of starting to get pissed.

I looked at the picture, then up at Zak, then down and back up again.

"What?" he asked.

"You have a sort of gothic-guido thing going on here," I said jokingly.

Zak bit back a smile and pouted.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled.

"What kind of tanning lotion do you use?" I asked teasingly.

"Michael!" he barked.

Nick and I burst out laughing.

"Does it have a bronzer in it?" Nick asked.

"Would you pay attention to your driving?" Zak snapped.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and got up on my knees, folding my arms on Zak's shoulder and resting my chin in the center.

"You know," I began, still trying to aggravate him, "I think it works for you, Mr. Bagans. I don't quite understand it, but I won't judge you."

Zak turned his head to the side to glare at me, his eyes dark and daring me to say something bad.

"Purdy boy," I added in a hick accent.

Zak jerked and I flinched, ducking down and laying upside down with my head in his lap, trying to make innocent.

"Pay backs are hell," he threatened, but giving me a boyish smile.

"Silly, Zak," I said in a higher-pitched voice.

I reached up and tapped him on the nose.

"It's a good thing you're cute," I said teasingly.

Zak bit his bottom lip and grabbed my sides. I squealed loudly and squirmed around.

"You are such a little shit!" he said playfully through his teeth.

"That's your fault, Bagans, and you have to deal with it," I taunted.

"Little shit," he repeated, now laughing.

I remained with my head in Zak's lap as I listened my own music and played a game on his phone. Zak rested an arm across my stomach and would occasionally take a lock of hair between his index and middle fingers and absently stroke it. My hair wasn't full of product today because I knew I'd be stuck in the van, so it wasn't coarse as it usually was. I had short pieces on the top of my head that I always dirtied with hairspray and messed up before I went out somewhere. It was so Nikki Sixx, but I liked it. However, I may start just going "hair naked," because Zak's long fingers running through my scalp and sort of combing my hair was nice.  
The hills were steep and windy now, but laying down, I didn't notice.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about these hills. I'm not sick, though," Zak mentioned.

"Don't puke on Mikey's head," Nick warned.

I stared up over the phone at him.

"Don't even think about it!" I snapped.

"Babe, I wouldn't dare. I'm fine. Are you doing okay?"

"I'm good. If I sit up I won't be," I said.

"Eleven more miles," Nick announced.

Aaron's seat creaked as he sat up quickly.

"Look, there's the sign for-"

"Aaron, shut up!" Zak shouted.

I gave Zak's phone back to him and tried to sit up, but Zak's arm pushed me back.

"Don't look. We're almost there," he said.

A little while later, Nick's driving slowed as we entered town. I could just make out the roofs of houses and the ambient noise of other cars.

"Bro, I'm so lost now," Nick said.

"Nothing is showing up on my phone," Aaron said.

"Shit," Nick hissed.

"Do we not have a map?" Zak asked, concerned.

Aaron spun around and glared at Zak.

"Yeah, we _do_ but we can't use it," he said.

I curled my lip. What the hell did that mean?

"Zak, bro. Tell me something. It's left or right. This is a really bad intersection," Nick said.

Zak got his phone out and brought up a map.

"Turn right," Zak said.

"Are you sure?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," he said.

Nick turned on his signal.

"Alright," Nick said, uncertainty hinting in his voice.

We turned right and sped down a road that felt slightly lop-sided. It winded for what felt like forever, and I felt like I was sliding downwards.

"Where am I going?" Nick asked, slightly irritated.

"Just keep going, bro. There will be a sign," Aaron said.

I really wanted to look outside, but there was only trees. However, the trees here were pine and only pine. Where were we? I know we had climbed ridiculously high.  
As we went round a bend, Aaron jumped.

"There's the-"

"Aaron!" Zak barked.

"Oops! Sorry!" Aaron said.

"This is where I turn?" Nick asked.

"No, bro. Keep going," Zak said.

Nick took his foot off the brake and accelerated. The road winded around the other way, making Zak lean towards the door. I had a strange feeling like I knew this road. Outside, I could hear motorcycles passing by.

"I'm having some serious deja vu right now," I said.

Zak looked down at me.

"How come?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Aaron.

"There! Right there, Nick!" Aaron blurted out.

Nick groaned and hung a left.

"This is sketchy," Nick said.

"It's just a short street, Nick. Keep driving. I'll tell you when," Zak said.

I peered over my brow out the window. Nothing but trees. Perfect.

"This place is so pretty," Aaron said, "I'm going to go nuts with my pictures."

This made Nick and Zak chuckle. I pouted. I really wanted to see where we were. All I knew was that there were trees and we were driving slightly downhill.

"This is it, isn't it, Zak?" Aaron asked.

Zak craned his neck to look around the front seats.

"Yeah. Oh yeah! This is definitely it. Nick pull over," Zak said.

"I'm going to vlog this," Aaron announced.

I heard Aaron begin his vlog as Zak's hand went over my eyes.

"You can't peek, babe," he said to me.

I pouted some more.

"I want to see!" I whined.

Zak reached and arm under me and lifted, causing me to sit up.

"I can cover my own eyes, if that makes this easier," I suggested.

Zak sighed.

"Fine," he said, "Just don't peek. You'll spoil the surprise."

I closed my eyes as Zak lifted his hand and I covered my eyes with my own hand. Zak held the other and helped me out of the van. I could hear van doors shutting as the boys gathered.

"No one say a word," Zak ordered.

A collection of "Sure, mans," "yeahs" and "no problem, bros" came from the guys. Zak moved behind me and held me by the shoulders.

"You're not peeking, are you, Michael?" Zak asked.

"No! For the love, I'm not peeking!" I exclaimed.

I heard the boys laugh. Zak pushed me forward and we slowly walked down a slight slope through gravel and then onto pavement. I shuffled along and was surprised when I couldn't feel light on my face and concrete under my feet, but old, creaky wood.

"Hold her there, Zak," I heard Aaron say.

"Hurry up, bro," Aaron said.

"Aaron's Vlog. Right now we're in a secret location that's about to be not so secret anymore. Zak wanted to surprise Michael so we're about to unveil her surprise. Are you ready?"

"That was redundant as hell, Aaron," I commented.

I heard Aaron and Zak laugh. Footsteps approached and I could hear the unmistakable sound of Aaron's breathing over the sound of the wind.

"Is that it, Zak?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah," Zak replied.

"Okay, let me zoom in on it," Aaron said.

We stood still for a moment before I heard Aaron back up.

"Okay, go!" Aaron said.

Zak's hands slid from my shoulders and down to my arms. I felt his breath near my arm.

"Are you ready, babe?" he whispered.

I nodded eagerly.

"This suspense is killing me!" Nick exclaimed.

I heard the boys laugh.

"Okay. Remove your hand in three, two..."

Instead of saying one, Zak kissed my cheek. Oh great, Zak. That's on camera. It'll be on YouTube and fangirls will know. Good going.

"Open your eyes, baby," he whispered.

"I'm scared," I said, laughing.

"Do it, Michael!" I heard Billy shriek.

I slammed my hand to my side and opened my eyes. When I saw what was in front of me, I flipped shit.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!" I screamed, my voice echoing all over the valley.

This little thing I was standing in was a little gazebo on a hill called Scenic Overlook. It overlooked a valley and this huge white and yellowish castle like structure on the opposite mountain. I grabbed the railing and crouched down, staring out at the structure in disbelief.

"This is our lockdown, Michael. Welcome back to Eureka Springs!" Zak announced happily.

All I could say was "Oh my God!"

"Zak, where are we?" Aaron asked.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Zak said in his TV show host voice, "We are on location in Eureka Springs, Arkansas where we will be locked down in a couple locations tomorrow night, including that beautiful sight over there."

"That's the world's most haunted hotel?" Aaron asked.

"America's," Zak corrected, "Mikey, sweetie, what is that?"

I stood up and stared at it.

"That is the 1886 Crescent Hotel," I said breathlessly.

This building-this town has had such a connection with me since I was a little kid. I traveled up here any chance I could. I hadn't visited in two years, however. It came as such a shock that I couldn't speak. This town was like a second home. It was in my blood ever since my friend from high school and I had a paranormal experience in the Basin Park Hotel in downtown Eureka. It was the best place ever. Everyone was nice and civil. The shopping was the best, the food was fantastic, and the paranormal activity in a town sitting on a shit ton of springs was amazing. It was a town my Aunt Patch had loved for the hippy community, Nikki had loved for Diversity Weekend, and Volta had loved for the awesome car shows. I loved it for the paranormal, ironically. Being here and sharing this childhood favorite with the boys was just out of this world.

"We also have another surprise for Michael," Zak said.

I spun around.

"You guys can't possible have any more surprises," I said.

Zak laughed and wrapped an arm around me.

"You, my dear, will be co-hosting with me. You know the ghosts here and the history. You deserve some time in the spotlight," he said.

"What?" I asked, bewildered, "No! This is your show!"

"Michael, after all the evidence you captured for us last season, I think it's time to see how you fare as a ghost adventurer for an episode," he said.

I was speechless. I couldn't host a show! No way!

"You'll love it, Mikey," Nick chimed in.

Aaron turned to camera on himself.

"And, because Zak wants to do a show with his girl," Aaron said.

Zak smiled when I looked up at him.

"It's February. Valentine's Day is coming up," Zak reminded me.

"Oh dear lord," I said.

Zak tilted me chin up and molded his full lips to mine. In the words of Nikki: "Dying! Dying!" The boys made cat calls and hollered loud enough for everyone in the bottom of the valley, which was downtown Eureka Springs, to hear. I knew for a fact there was a bar just below the overlook.

"Gross. You know this is going in the vlog, right?" Aaron asked.

Zak broke away from me and smiled. I couldn't see his eyes for his sunglasses, so I had no idea what was going on in his devious little mind as he stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"I don't care," Zak softly.

I beamed. Aaron just shook his head.


	24. The Silent Ones of the Crescent Hotel

Later that afternoon, Aaron and I went down to the church below the Crescent so he could take some pictures for Instagram. Nick was out shooting b-roll. Zak was up in the hotel doing interviews and retrieving the names and numbers of people who had had personal experiences at the hotel. So, while they were busy, I was following Aaron with my camcorder. Time to start on my new project.

"Where did you get that?" Aaron asked as I pulled the device out of my bag and turned it on.

"Nikki got this for me for Christmas. Remember?"

Aaron snapped his fingers as he remembered.

"Oh yeah! That's right! Are you going to start vlogs?" Aaron asked excitedly.

"Sort of," I replied.

I had done vlogs for YouTube with friends before, but never by myself. It was weird that this little white and silver device could make me feel so odd and so self-conscious. It was like talking to a stranger or an imaginary friend in public.  
"What are you going to film?" Aaron asked curiously.

"My plan was to make an accompanying video for the blog. Something similar to 'Aaron's Vlogs,' but strictly about the blog. I know readers get bored," I said.

Aaron nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a good idea," he said.

"Thanks," I replied as I finally figured out how to get the camcorder to record.

I held the camera up to face the church because I wasn't quite sure if it was recording. I didn't want it to record my face just yet.

"Are you recording?" Aaron asked.

I moved the camcorder around and finally found a little red light. Yeah, this is like, my first time using this thing. Probably should have tested it beforehand.

"Yeah," I replied and turned the camcorder around to face us.

"Mikey's Vlog!" Aaron sang.

I laughed. Taking a deep breath, I quickly ran through what I was going to say before speaking.

"Hey! What's up, guys? This is Michael from the Ghost Adventures Crew. I'm here with Aaron," I began.

Aaron grinned and waved at the camera.

"Right now we're at our first lockdown location of the season," I said.

"Eureka Springs, Arkansas, baby! Woo!" Aaron shouted, making me laugh.

"I have decided to get on the vlogging bandwagon and give you guys a visual of what we're seeing. I'll just be posting quick videos like these to go along with the blog. Don't worry. There will still be an entry and plenty of photos, but I know sometimes just reading gets kind of boring, so I wanted to spruce up the blog a little bit. Plus, I'll try to get one of the guys to be in the video with me because I know that's who you people _really_ want to see."

"Nah!" Aaron interrupted, "They want to see you."

"They don't wanna see me," I argued.

"They wanna see you," he repeated.

"I don't think so, bro," I said with a laugh.

Aaron and I walked down the path around the church and explained the location and the claims before ending the video. I wasn't very happy with it, and I knew I was going to have to go through it and edit some things out. I had a feeling there would be a lot of clip splitting and cutting.  
When Aaron was done taking pictures, we sat together on a stone wall behind the church and looked around at the scenery. Even in dark, nasty February, this place was pretty. There was cloud cover and tree cover in this area, making it seem as if it was almost nighttime. It left a dark aura over the church and the hotel, which made me extremely excited. This place was not only gorgeous in broad daylight, but just as beautiful shrouded in murky gloom. It made the vibe of the haunted hotel come to life. There had been so much uncalled for death at this location. This was the only place I could pick up on the emotions. The sadness. The loss. The anger. The wickedness.  
A rustling in the bushes behind us snapped Aaron and I out of our trance. We both jumped and spun around. Out of the bushes padded this huge gray cat.

"That scared the hell out of me!" Aaron said breathlessly.

The cat looked up at Aaron and meowed. I reached out to pet it.

"They have cats around here all the time, Aaron," I said.

Aaron sighed and sat back down to scratch the cat under it's chin. This cat was very pretty. It had long, bushy gray fur with white markings around the ears, tail, and feet.

"You look like a little ghost, fella," Aaron said.

I smiled and ran my fingers through it's fur. It was so bushy, I was surprised to feel a skinny cat beneath it. The little ghost cat crawled up into my lap and headbutted me in the boob. Aaron laughed.

"You're so pretty. I want to steal you," I said to the cat.

The cat purred and walked off of my lap and onto the ledge.

"He's so big!" Aaron said.

I laughed. This cat was pretty big. He had to be at least _part_ Maine Coon. The cat hopped off the wall and padded up the path and around the corner, vanishing behind the bushes. Aaron climbed down.

"Come on," he said, "I want to get a picture of it before we have to leave."

I hopped down and followed Aaron around the corner where the cat had gone. We rounded the corner and looked everywhere for the cat, but it was no where to be found.

"Where did it go?" Aaron asked.

I walked out ahead of him and started making "tsk" noises to get the cat to come back out.

"It couldn't have gone far," I said.

We kept walking and looking as we climbed the sloped path that led back out to the road.

"I don't see it anywhere," Aaron said, sounding disappointed.

"Here, kitty kitty," I said in a high-pitched voice.

Suddenly, there was a soft "bddreow!" from behind us. Aaron and I spun around, but there was nothing there. We looked in every direction, but there was no cat. We exchanged frightened glances.

"Ghost," I said jokingly.

"Dude, no way! That's awesome!" Aaron exclaimed.

We said goodbye to the ghost cat and left for the road to make the steep climb up to the Crescent's garden to take more pictures. When we walked through the little black gate and into the garden, we found Nick out shooting b-roll.

"There you are, Aaron!" Nick exclaimed.

Nick put his camera down and approached us.

"Hey, we need to go down and shoot some b-roll of the morgue before we have to go to the other hotel," he said.

"This hotel has a morgue?" Aaron asked incredulously.

"It used to be a hospital," I said, my eyes absently fixated on the ground behind Nick.

"No way! That's awesome, man!" Aaron said.

"Yeah, man. A lot of creepy stuff went down in there. Zak spoke with the people who host the ghost tours here, and they didn't tell him much about what happened in there. Most have been some bad shit," Nick said.

"Well, they probably won't tell us so it won't get on television. They don't want to ruin the hotel's image. This building is a major tourist attraction for retirees and weddings," I said.

"But that's just it, Mikey. Spirits that are not at rest have to speak. If bodies were dishonorably experimented on, that's a sure way to piss off a spirit. They can't move on unless we help, but we can't help unless we know more," Nick said.

His tone took both Aaron and I off guard. Nick sounded a little upset-almost desperate-as if he had made a special connection with the spirits inside the hotel. It was as if he _cared_ about their well-being. That's exactly how I felt the first time I visited the hotel and discovered it was haunted But I don't think it was just the hotel that I had established a bond with, but the entire town! Mingling among the locals and tourists were the silent ones.

"Nick?" Aaron asked.

Nick took a deep breath to calm himself.

"It just pisses me off! So many people died here at the hands of magician turned surgeon overnight. I just...I don't know. I just feel like they're reaching out. Like they need us! And it's not like they're evil or demonic. Just...sad," Nick said.

There was something about his tone of voice that made me want to hug the living snot out of him. He almost, _almost_, sounded as if he were going to cry.

"And it's not just the spirits in this hotel that need closure. They're everywhere here," I said.

Nick nodded.

"I'm really starting to dig this town, you guys. The energy in this garden _alone_ is amazing!" Aaron said, sounding like a kid in a candy store.

Nick's spirit lifted and he smiled.

"I'm so excited for this lockdown!" he said.

"No, bro! You know what's exciting?" Aaron asked.

Nick looked up with interest.

"What?" he asked.

"Bro, Mikey and I were down there at the church," Aaron said, pointing east towards the church, "You see that red dome?"

Nick nodded.

"Yeah, yeah," he said.

"And we saw this cat," Aaron said.

I suddenly remembered the cat.

"Oh my God, dude! That was so weird!" I said.

"That's strange 'cause when we were interviewing the manager, she told us there was cats and even ghost cats around here. They have a painting of a cat in the lobby, too," Nick said.

I nodded. I remembered that painting. It was near the front door hanging above an antique Victorian style couch.

"Are there living cats here?" Aaron asked Nick.

Nick nodded.

"There was one at the information counter with a lady working behind it," Nick replied.

"We thought this one was alive, too," I said.

Nick's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? Hold on, I want to film this for the show. We may use it, we may not, but while it's fresh..."

"Sure, come on. Let's go back down there," I said.

We began walking towards the gate and back out into the road.

"Maybe since we were gone, the cat returned and we can see if it was living or not. Do some debunk-anation," Aaron said.

Nick yanked his camera up onto his shoulder as we returned to the church. I walked with Aaron while he walked backwards to speak to the camera.

"So Mikey and I were down here a few moments ago filming a vlog and taking pictures, and this cat came up behind us on the wall," Aaron said, pointing the ledge and the flower bed behind it.

"All of sudden, this big gray cat come out and meowed at us. We talked to it and petted it. Then it jumped down from ledge and went back around the corner," I said, pointing from the ledge to the corner where we had come from.

"I wanted to go get some pictures of it, but as soon as we went after it, it was gone," Aaron said.

Nick followed us back around the corner.

"As you can see, these walls are pretty high and there was no way for it to go into the church or the little courtyard. We checked," I said.

"And we immediately went after it, so we don't see how it could have disappeared that fast. Just, without a trace," Aaron added.

"But the weird part was," I began.

"When Mikey called for it," Aaron continued the sentence.

"We heard this...not really aggressive, but just this really blunt meow. When we turned around," I said.

"There was nothing there," Aaron finished.

Nick looked excited.

"That's so awesome," he said with a smile.

We soon left the church and trekked through the garden to the front doors of the hotel. We approached just in time to catch Zak come through the doors and down the steps. He had this strange look on his face that had us worried.

"Okay, guys," he said as he came over to us, "I got some names and numbers but these people..."

"What about them?" Nick asked.

Zak looked down at a piece of paper he was holding between both hands. I could see his scribbles through it. He sighed heavily.

"They really aren't to enthused to give us much information. The people who work the ghost tour are just severely uneducated about spirits. They just gave me a briefing on some of the ghosts. The staff didn't really tell me much. I'm hoping the people at the Basin will be a little more cooperative," he said.

My shoulders fell in disappointment. I had a feeling the staff would be unfeeling.

"So, everything depends on if I can score some interviews with these people," Zak said, jabbing his ringed index finger into the little piece of scrap paper, "But it looks like we are going to be relying on you, Michael."

I looked up at him in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

Zak smirked.

"You, sweetie, are going to be our number one source and our guide tomorrow night alongside co-hosting," he said.

My jaw dropped, but in all actuality, I was pumped!

"I also need to ask a favor of you," he tacked on.

My excitement deflated.

"Oh God," I groaned.

Zak smiled.

"It's nothing bad. I want to have a reenactment scene of the ghost of the Lady in Red," he explained.

I could feel my eyebrows disappear into my hairline.

"What? Wait! No!" I blurted out.

Did they shit honestly believe they were going to get me to wear, of all the horrid things in the world, a dress?

"Michael, this'll be your first acting debut," Nick grinned.

I looked from Nick to Zak with my mouth hanging wide open.

"Oh, you know you want to dress up," Aaron said teasingly, slapping me on the back.

I glared up at Aaron. He just winked.

"I didn't even go to prom because I had to wear a dress!" I exclaimed, "There is no way in hell you're getting me into a dress!"

Zak leaned down and took my face into his hands.

"But you'll look so pretty in a dress," he said softly.

I wished I had something to bop him off the side of his head with. Was he fucking crazy?!

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped playfully.

Zak grinned and kissed my forehead before letting go of my face.

"Come on. We still have work to do," Zak said, getting back into his "boss" role.

I stared out at the pavement while the boys walked away and huffed.

"They just _want_ to torture me!" I said.

Xxx

Nick sidled up beside Zak as they approached the van.

"Hey, Zak?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, man?" Zak asked.

"You know this is the first lockdown Michael's been to since Lanark?" Nick asked.

The realization hit Zak like a ton of bricks. He had forgotten about that, and it made him stop in his tracks.

"You think she'll be alright on this?" Nick asked.

Zak turned his head and looked back at Michael, who was walking quickly with her head down. She didn't seem repulsed or nervous by the place, as far as he could tell.

"I think so. I'll speak with her later," he said, mainly to pacify Nick.

"I mean, you _are_ kind of asking a lot of her," Nick pointed out.

Zak nodded.

"I know, I know," Zak replied, "I just want to include her as much as possible this time. This place means a lot to her."

Nick nodded understandingly.

"I think she can handle it, but I'm still a little uncertain of what you're asking of her," Nick said.

Zak nodded. He stepped closer to Nick as Michael passed by so she would not hear.

"I will never ask of her what I did at the last lockdown. That was like indirectly slapping her in the face. It was disrespectful. I still feel bad about it," he confessed to his friend.

"Bro, I know. I'm just making sure. She may or may not be in the same boat mentally as you are. She's not Aaron. We can't just throw her in the hole and expect her to come out just as strong," Nick murmured.

Zak inhaled through his nose and exhaled with a huff. He reached a hand behind his head to scratch the back of his neck.

"I know. I still can't let go of what I did. It goes against me to place a woman in danger like that, but she's strong as hell, Nick. It just didn't click with me," Zak explained.

Nick placed a hand on Zak's shoulder. Zak's nervous eyes glanced up into Nick's determined ones.

"Bro, if you believe in her, then she will believe in herself. It's how both of you will overcome and move on. From what I've seen, thanks to all the time you spent with her-being there for her, she has life by the balls," Nick said, holding up a fist for emphasis.

Zak nodded. He had heard she was back to her old self and just as tenacious than she had ever been when he called Billy to apologize. He could even feel in the van that she was back 110%.

"Do you believe in her?" Nick asked.

"Absolutely," Zak replied without hesitation.

"Good," Nick said, thus ending their conversation.

Zak wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that Nick was a little worried about Michael's well-being on this lockdown. When she was possessed by the spirit of Michael Springfield at Lanark Nursing Home, Nick couldn't watch. He had to leave the room. But Zak knew that this job was just like riding a horse. You had to get right back into the saddle.

"Zak! Let's go!" Aaron called.

Zak snapped out of his thoughts and returned to the van. He climbed in sat down beside Michael, laying his head on her shoulder. Michael reached around his head and lightly patted his cheek, then raked her fingers through the hair that was not spiked on Zak's head. He closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep.

"What time is it?" Aaron asked.

Zak opened his eyes and turned his wrist over and looked at his watch.

"Just now 4:00," he replied.

"Good, we have plenty of time to check out the Basin before 6:00," Aaron said.

Michael squirmed excitedly.

"This place is the fun one. This is where I had my first paranormal experience," Michael mentioned.

Zak sat straight up and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Are you serious?" Zak asked.

Michael smiled and nodded excitedly.

"I have a picture," she said.

Zak felt his jaw drop.

"Are you fucking with me?" Zak exclaimed.

Michael bit her lip shyly and shook her head. Zak made a high-pitched "AH!" sound, causing Michael to laugh.

"I have the best girlfriend," he said to the guys.

Nick smiled at him in the rearview mirror as he backed the van up. Aaron turned around and winked at Michael. Michael stuck her tongue out at Aaron and nudged Zak. He looked down to see Michael's cheeks tinge red. He had embarrassed her, but he found it amusing.

"Is that a blush?" Zak asked, poking her in the cheek.

Michael slapped his hand away.

"No! I don't blush," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

Zak poked her again as she looked out the window.

"That's adorable!" Zak said in a high-pitched voice.

Michael grinned and pushed him away, making him smile broadly. She had no idea what he had planned for her.


	25. Included

Nick planted his feet on the time polished sidewalk and Aaron stood nearby Zak on the slope of the sidewalk that wrapped around the building.

"Ready?" Nick called.

"Ready!" Aaron and Zak called back.

"Alright. Action!" Nick called.

Zak assumed his TV show host persona, remembering the script he made up in his mind, cracked his neck, then began the slow, dramatic walk down the sidewalk.

"We're here at the 1905 Basin Park Hotel in downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas investigating one of two very historic and highly active locations. Tonight, we will be locked down for a few hours in this hotel before heading out to the infamous 1886 Crescent Hotel."

Nick and Aaron took that cut and followed Zak inside the hotel to the lobby. Zak thought it would be a good idea to start his description to stand in the lobby's cage elevator and come out and speak as it opened. Neither Nick nor Aaron would get in the elevator with him. The manager had told Zak how to make the door open and close without it actually moving so Zak could get his effect just right.  
Zak stood in the elevator and held the door button down as it closed and then reopened.

"Sitting on what was formerly the Perry House, the Basin Park Hotel has a rich history of illegal gambling and bar operation. The building was assembled upon the remains of the Perry House, which burned down, and it is believed that some of tenants perished in the fire and never left."

They cut again so they could move to the balcony restaurant and finish Zak's intro.

"There are claims of children, a woman who tries to evict tenants from 'her' room, and a man in a cowboy hat who has been seen roaming from room to room. This is also where our own, photographer and photo analyst Michael Wilde, had her first paranormal experience."

They cut again and headed back down to the lobby to interview a few of the hotel staff and a woman that had a paranormal encounter in the hotel's Barefoot Ballroom. Afterwards, Aaron was sent to retrieve Michael, who was with Billy and Jay in the Basin Spring Park just next door.

Xxx

Oh my God! I do not want to be on camera like this. Crap like this makes me nervous. And with Nick and Aaron "behind the wheel," who knows what they will actually film of me! My nervous tendencies? My butt? Not something I should have to worry about with them, but I've seen them do it on other women before. What if I forget myself and pick my nose and they catch it, forget to cut it out, and put it in the episode?  
I usually don't have stage fright like this, but being interviewed and knowing it was going into the show just freaked me out.

"Michael, don't look so nervous," Aaron said to me as we stood by the stairs and waited for a family to come down.

"I'm not," I lied.

Zak snuck up behind us.

"Bullshit," he said.

I spun around and glared at him. This made him and the guys laugh.

"You'll be fine. It's the stunt you have to do tomorrow you should worry about," Zak said.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"What stunt?" I squeaked.

Zak just smiled and took me by the shoulders.

"Let's just go. We'll discuss it later," he said.

Now they really had me wound up!

We climbed the staircase until we reached the fourth floor. Each floor, save for the floor with the restaurant and the floor with the spa looked exactly the same. This floor, however, had one difference.  
When I noticed Aaron and Nick prepare to record, I turned and looked in the reflection of the stairwell door and began picking at my hair and moving my beanie around until it sat just right on the crown of my head. I ran a finger under both eyes to remove any eyelashes, eyeliner smudges, or flecks of mascara. I didn't have any, but it never hurts to check.

"Michael, you look fine. Stop," Zak said.

I growled and turned back around to face him.

"It's just us here. Why are you so nervous all of sudden? I have never seen you like this," Zak said.

I sighed and walked over to Aaron, grabbing the lens hood of his camera and pulling it down towards me.

"It's like I can see them in there. All of the viewers sitting on their couches watching," I said.

"Mikey, I'm rolling," Aaron said.

I shoved the camera away and ducked out of shot.

"Son of a bitch!" I barked.

The boys roared with laughter. Zak had to tell them to be quiet because there were still visitors here.

"Mikey, are you ready?" Zak asked.

I crossed my arms and sighed.

"I guess," I said.

"Mikey, where's your laptop? I want a shot of that picture," Nick spoke up.

"It's in my bag," I replied, patting the messenger bag hanging off my shoulder.

"Get it out and hand it to me. Leave your bag off," Nick said.

"You're the boss," I said.

I pulled the strap off and reached in to pull out my laptop. I handed it to Nick and sat my bag down at his feet. I then walked over to Zak and turned to face the camera. Aaron handed Zak a microphone pack. I took it and slid the clip of the pack in my belt loop and ran the line through my shirt and clipped it to my collar. God, this was nerve-racking!

"Ready?" Nick asked.

Zak nodded.

"This is too damn cute," Aaron said.

Oh my God, Aaron! Shut up!

"Okay, in 3, 2, 1," Nick said.

I saw the red lights turn on on top of the cameras. Aaron backed up to get a different angle, leaving Zak and I to face Nick's camera. I felt my cheeks flush. I wondered how big of an idiot I looked in the camera.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here on the fourth floor of the Basin Park Hotel with our," Zak paused and threw an arm around my neck, yanking me into him and making me laugh, "photographer, Michael Wilde, who was up here when she caught a photo of two apparitions at the end of this very hall. Michael, can you run us through that day?"

"If you'll let go," I laughed.

Zak smiled and let me go.

"Okay. Well, my friend and I came up here for their little Halloween weekend here in Eureka Springs. It was the middle of the day and we were bored. We had just gotten finished shopping and I said, 'Hey, while we're waiting, let's go in here and ghost hunt.' So, we came in and I showed her around the lobby because I've been here before. I showed her the '1905' in the floor and the time capsule in the window and all. Then, we headed upstairs and ran through all seven floors taking pictures," I explained.

"All seven?" Zak asked.

He had assumed his little "The Thinker" pose and it almost made me crack me up.

"Yeah," I said, "When we reached the fourth floor is when I started getting a little nervous."

"What was it that made you nervous?" Zak asked.

"Just the fact that it was quieter on this floor. A lot of people were in town shopping or at lunch, so no one was really here. It was just different. I didn't think much of it and we just kept walking and trying to be quiet. We walked down one of the side halls on this floor and the air in here is really stagnant, so you can imagine my shock when this cold blast of hair just hits me."

I made extra emphasis with my hands, waving them towards my face to cause a small breeze. Zak was intrigued.

"What was it?" he asked.

"They installed air conditioning in here!" I said, making Nick and Aaron laugh.

Zak tried not to laugh.

"It was just weird. With this being such an old structure, I thought that it would be like the Crescent. The Crescent only has air conditioning in the rooms, not the hallways. But in here they do, and I walked under a vent and freaked."

Zak laughed.

"Where did you see the apparitions?" he asked.

I waved Nick and Aaron over.

"Follow me," I said.

I was suddenly extremely brave in front of the cameras. I don't know why, but I was not going to complain. I needed this bravery to last throughout tomorrow as well.

"Over here," I said, pointing to a mirror on the north wall, "I got this weird feeling when I looked in that mirror. Every time I come to Eureka Springs and see a mirror, like in the Crescent, I just get this feeling like, if I took a picture of it, there would be a ghost in it. This time I got more than I asked for. There were two."

"Did you see the apparitions with the naked eye?" Nick asked.

"No! That's what I thought was strange. The only appeared in the photo," I said.

"What kind of camera were you using?" Zak asked as he stared thoughtfully at the mirror.

"Just a dinky little point and shoot," I replied, "I was crouched down about six feet from the mirror and I took the picture and immediately reviewed it. At first, I saw nothing, but then I saw this blob sitting in the corner under the mirror and I showed my friend. I was like 'Oh my God, what the fuck is that?' and she got really scared. I was just ecstatic. I caught my first ghost!"

Zak smiled. Nick handed over the laptop to Zak and we looked at the pictures.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a lens flare?" Zak asked, "Was the flash on?"

"No. Like I said, it was late in the afternoon. The lights in here were not on and the only natural source of light is coming from the balcony door on the other end of the hall, which you can't even see because this hotel conforms to the side of the mountain. Every hallway in curved like this," I explained.

"Okay. Let me see your shot," Zak said.

I opened my photo folder up and blew up the shot of my ghosts.

"I tried my best to enhance this as much as possible, but the lighting was already poor and that camera was on it's last leg," I explained.

"Oh ok," Zak said, pointing to the screen, "There's one and there's one leaning up against the wall. Nick, get a shot of this."

Nick walked closer and tried to focus in on the picture.

"Do you think the smaller one is a child? It looks like it's standing at about four feet tall," Zak said.

I shook my head.

"No. If you compare it to the mass of the one that's standing, it's about the same proportionately. It looks to me like an adult sitting down on their knees," I said.

"That's so weird," Zak commented as he zoomed in on the picture.

"Pretty good shot, though," Aaron said.

Zak and Nick agreed.

After the interview, we all met back down in the park to go over the rest of the night's plans and the scheduling for tomorrow.

"One thing we still need to do before we leave," Zak announced, "Michael!"

I looked up at Zak. Oh shit! What now?

"Nick is going to take you back up into the hotel and shoot some b-roll with you. After that, we're going to go back to the hotel, check in, relax. In the morning, a local paranormal investigation team is coming in. Nick and Aaron, you two will be interviewing them at this park. Michael, you and I are going up to the Crescent to film the Lady in Red reenactment. We will photoshoot and then we will break for the rest of the day and meet up here at the Basin at six. Is that clear?"

We all nodded. Zak clapped his hands together.

"Alright. Let's go," he said.

Nick took my arm and led me back into the hotel. This was going to be one hell of a lockdown.

Xxx

I had just gotten into my hotel room, just threw my suitcase on the bed, and just turned on the lights when I heard footsteps. I was walking to the sink when I froze. The footsteps were running and getting closer and closer.

"Oh shit," I said.

As if on cue, I hear a loud banging on my door.

"Mikey! Come out here! I gotta show you something!" Aaron cried out from the other side of my door.

"And here we go," I said to myself.

Slipping my key card into my pocket, I opened the door and followed Aaron out on the balcony. The hotel we were in had three floors with exterior and interior rooms. The balcony went on inside the hotel and then back out to exterior rooms if one were to walk through it. I loved it.  
Aaron led me into the hotel and down a flight of stairs to a pair of glass doors. The smell of chlorine hung heavy in the air. I knew exactly where Aaron was taking me. Inside was this huge room with a ceiling three stories high. A flag from all fifty states hung over a large, rectangular pool and a small round jacuzzi. On the far wall was nothing but floor the ceiling windows that overlooked the woods behind the hotel.  
Nick, Zak, and Jay came in from the lobby and looked over at us.

"We have **got** to play in this later!" Aaron said excitedly.

Zak looked over at the pool and was immediately in a trance by the blue water.

"If no one is down here tonight, I will," Nick said.

"They said they were showing a movie in here tonight," Jay said.

I looked up to the drop down screen over the jacuzzi. I had forgotten they did that.

"What movie?" Nick asked.

Jay shrugged.

"I think they said Batman," he said.

Zak got excited.

"That settles it. After dinner, we're so getting in this pool!" he said.

Good thing I brought swimwear. You never know when you might need it.

Back in my room, I was sitting around working on cleaning some lenses and watching cartoons when there was a knock on my door.

"Willkommen. It's open. Come on in," I said with a German accent.

Zak threw open the door, spun on his heel and fell backwards into the door, closing it with his back.

"Who the hell gave you sugar?" was the first thing to fly out of my mouth.

Zak grinned like an idiot.

"They had cookies in the lobby," he said cheekily.

I glared up at him.

"Where's my cookies?" I asked.

Zak opened his mouth to make an excuse, but then shut it.

"I ate them," he said.

I pretended to be made and rubbed my cleaning cloth harder on the glass of my lens.

"Oh, I see how it is!" I said.

Zak flopped over onto my bed and clasped his hands together in a begging manner.

"Please, have mercy, Michael! Forgive me! I'm not worthy!" he fake cried.

I reattached the now clean lens to it's camera and looked down at Zak, who was freaking pouting!

"You are absolutely nuts!" I exclaimed.

Zak grinned. Damn that grin! I leaned over and pinned him down, which I knew was dangerous, because at any moment he could flip me over and have me pinned down, and there was no escape from that. He smiled innocently at me, and I couldn't help but stare at him. His eye color contrasted deeply with his skin tone and his lips were oddly lighter than his skin, almost making it look like he was wearing a nude shade of lipstick. So, not being able to help myself, I leaned down and kissed him.  
Zak's hands immediately went to sides of my face and moved back to tangle in my hair. I was completely caught off guard by how deep this kiss was. It definitely packed more of a punch than what I was used to receiving from him. But it was still amazing, and it left me weak in the shoulders.

"Maybe we should pump you with sugar more often," I said when we broke away.

I couldn't freaking breathe!  
Zak just smiled up at me, his thumbs stroking my cheeks as he kept my face in his grasp.

"You did good today, Mikey. I'm proud of you," he said.

This made me smile. There was only one main goal I had with the Crew, and that was to make them proud.  
Zak yanked me down to him and hugged me. I squeaked as I fell into this chest. He rolled over until I fell on my side. I took his shirt in my hands and clung to him. He smelled beautiful. I missed that smell. When it faded off my Pillow Pet, I was lost.

"I missed you so much," he said into the top of my head.

I laughed.

"I could tell," I said.

He made a small laugh. I could hear it rumble through his chest. I buried my head into him. He was so warm. I could fall asleep like this. Really. He made the best pillow.

"I have something I need to ask you, Michael. I know we never talked about it, but since we have time, I wanted to bring it up," he said in a serious tone.

"Oh damn," I groaned.

I scooted back so I could look at him. He reached out to move my hair out of my face.

"Will you do something with me, Michael?" he asked.

I reached up to take the hand that was playing with my hair. Zak grasped my hand tightly.

"What?" I asked.

Zak bit his lip before replying.

"Go out on a date with me tonight?" he asked.

My heart skipped. This man was going to give me heart problems. I just knew it!

I scooted back in to him and looked up. He had this very content smile on his face. He was such a gorgeous specimen on man.

"What did you have in mind, Mr. Bagans?" I asked cheekily, reaching up to cup his jaw.

"Oh, you know. Dinner. Nothing too fancy," he said.

I smirked.

"You already have it picked out, don't you?" I asked.

He nodded. I reached up and pecked him on the lips.

"I would love to," I said softly.

This made Zak smile and hold me tighter to him. This was the best trip to Eureka Springs ever!

Xxx

Zak stared up at the sign of the restaurant, then reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and took a picture. I jumped out of the van excitedly and ran over to him. He had picked the best restaurant in town. Not anywhere near fancy, which is what I liked. It was a strange little barbecue joint on the side of a hill off of the street. It was one you had to walk down some stairs to get to the porch, because the front parking lot was above it.  
I had been to this place so many times in the passed. It was expensive for a small restaurant, but so, so good and so worth it. I would eat here every day if I lived here.  
Zak rejoined me and we walked down the stairs and onto the porch. There were pigs everywhere, and I knew there was even more inside.

"Michael, I'm going to apologize right now. I had no idea there would be pigs," he said.

"Oh, I did. Come on," I said.

Zak gave me this bewildered look. I just smiled and took his hand, leading him into the restaurant to get a table.  
After we received our drinks and ordered our food, we sat in comfortable silence and watch the happenings going on in the trees outside the window. I played with my straw wrapper and without thinking about it, ripped it to pieces out of habit.

"The waitress is going to hate you," Zak said.

I laughed and wiped all of the pieces to the side.

"Nah," I said.

Zak smiled and looked back out the window. I reached for my cup and place the straw in my mouth.

"So, you know," Zak began.

I looked up as I took a sip of my pop.

"This is going to be your first lockdown since um, since the last one," Zak said slowly.

I swallowed my pop.

"Yeah," I said.

Zak's eyes locked with mine.

"Are you ready for it?" he asked.

I nodded eagerly.

"I mean, like, mentally," he said, pointing his index finger to his temple.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Zak. This place isn't like Lanark," I replied.

"I know, but we just never spoke about what happened there. Places like that stay with you. They can get under your skin."

"Zak, it's been almost three months since we've been there. I don't feel any residual darkness from it. I'm fine," I assured him.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

He looked troubled. I reached out and took his hands.

"Zak, I didn't know that was still bothering you. Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

Zak sighed.

"It's just...it bothers me what I did. I put you in danger and it was my fault you got hurt. I goes against every fiber of my being to put a woman or a child or animal in danger," he said.

I stopped him right there.

"Okay. Zak, what's wrong? We've discussed this. The ghosts here won't hurt us. I know they won't. Why are you worried?"

"Nick thought I was asking too much of you, and he's right. I have you doing reenactments and interviews and co-hosting on top of pictures and the blog. I really wanted to include you in this episode because I know how much you love this town, but I don't want to stress you out," Zak said.

"Zak, I want to do this. I want to be a part of this episode, but Zak..."

Zak's sad eyes looked up at me.

"You have got to let that guilt go. You didn't hurt me, a spirit did. It's my fault for provoking when I knew I wasn't strong enough. The only thing I can blame you for is not sharing those cookies earlier," I said.

Zak smiled at that and squeezed my hand.

"I'll share my fries," he said sweetly.

I laughed.  
Our order came soon and we ate like pigs. The food was great, and our conversations got better as time passed. Zak was a complete gentleman, but I had almost forgotten I was on a _date_. It was so weird. However, it was the best first date I had had with anyone.  
When we returned to the hotel. We walked through the lobby and out into the pool room. Some guys were in the pool yelling and having fun. When I got a closer look, I saw Aaron walk alongside the pool in his swim trunks. I stopped and smirked.

"Damn boy! Work it!" I shouted.

Aaron spun around in surprise to see Zak and I at the pool's gate.

"Oh, you like that, huh?" Aaron asked.

He resumed his walk to the jacuzzi, swaying his hips on purpose. I have to admit, losing all the weight did wonders for him.

"Mikey! Come get in the pool with us!" Nick called.

I opened the pool gate and walked in so I wouldn't have to yell. Zak followed me in.

"Why the hell would I want to get in the pool with you idiots?" I asked.

I was feeling feisty!

"Please?" Nick begged.

They think they're really going to see something. I saw right through that!

"Mikey! Don't be chicken!" Billy hollered.

Nick swam to the edge of the pool to me.

"Hurry and go change so you can watch Batman with us," he said.

I looked up at Zak.

"Are you going to?" I asked him.

Zak turned his head from side to side to crack his neck.

"Yeah. Maybe that water will help my neck. It's so sore tonight," he said.

I pouted and patted his shoulder. I hugged his arm and laid my head on it.

"Boys," Zak said loudly, catching their attention, "If Michael gets in this pool, I want you guys to keep your eyes off of her."

"Oh my God, Zak. I'm nothing to look at," I said.

Zak looked down and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Dammit! They're just boobs!" I hissed, making him laugh.

Honestly, I really didn't care. They could look if they wanted. It wasn't like I was going to come back down in a bikini, or even a damn one piece. I kept covered.

"Plus," I said to Zak as I turned around to leave, "I have you to protect me, big boy."

I patted him on the chest and winked.

"That's right!" he said.

I knew he was enjoying this.

"Hurry back!" Nick called as he left.

"We will! I'm not missing any Batman," Zak called over his shoulder.

We parted ways at the gate and I took off for the door to go up to my room on the third floor. When I entered, I opened one of my bags and dug out my flip-flops and a giant Megadeth t-shirt that I used for a nightshirt because it was too big. I found a simple black tankini top, which was basically just a tank top for swimming in, and a part of long board shorts. I threw all of that on, grabbed my key card and left for the pool room.  
When I returned, the lights were off save for the light coming in from outside and the lights around the perimeter of the room. A color changing light was turned on in the bottom of the pool, turning the water from red to purple to blue to green and back. The screen was down and the opening titles of Batman was playing. I came in through the gate to see Billy, Jay, and Nick lazily floating around and Aaron and Zak in the jacuzzi.

"Mikey! Get in here!" Nick shouted excitedly.

I sat my key on a table and slipped my sandals off.

"I bet that water is cold as piss," I said.

Nick shook his head.

"It's heated," he replied.

I walked over to the jacuzzi, heart racing at the sight of Zak's bare shoulders. Bodies like his usually never made me drool, but with Zak's head perched upon it, it made for one spicy man.  
I crouched behind Aaron.

"I thought you were a germophobe, Aaron?" I asked.

Aaron turned his head to look at me.

"I am," he replied.

"That's straight up butt soup you're sitting in," I said.

Aaron made a disgusted face and got out.

"What the hell, bro?" Zak asked.

"Bro! Michael's right. You could have farted or peed in that," Aaron said.

Zak turned and glared at me. I just grinned.

"Why do think the water has a green tinge?" I asked.

And then Zak got out, making me laugh. Aaron jumped back into the pool, then Zak followed with a cannonball. There were signs everywhere discouraging diving, but there was no lifeguard, so we kind of had free reign over the pool.

"Michael! Come join us!" Aaron called to me. I walked over to the pool and put my hands on my hips.

"How deep is it?" I asked.

I looked around the floor and cringed when I saw that it was eight feet deep. I couldn't swim. Doggie-paddle, yes, but not swim.

"Eight feet. Michael, it'll be alright," Zak said.

I sighed and crossed my arms, grabbing the hem of my t-shirt. I lifted the shirt off and placed it on the table with my key card.

"Goddamn, girl!" Billy called.

Zak splashed him.

"Hey Zak?" I asked.

"Yes, hun?" he turned and asked.

"When I jump in, do not let them try to mess with me. I can't swim," I said.

"I won't," he said.

Aaron had this devious expression on his face.

"Don't even think about it, Aaron!" I snapped, pointing a finger at him.

"Don't worry about him, Mikey. Come on," Zak said.

I took a deep breath and went for it. I jumped, closed my eyes and nose, and held my breath as I dropped and went under. I could hear the boys hollering and the music to the movie as I floated back up. I came up and screamed.

"This water is fucking cold, Nick!" I shrieked.

Nick laughed. Zak swam over and wrapped his arms around me. I froze at the feeling of his skin against my arm. I turned to see a sopping wet Zak Bagans grin at me. Wet was a good look for him.  
Later as the boys swam around and got absorbed into the movie, I sat up on the edge of the pool with Zak backed up into my legs. His neck was still killing him, so I offered to rub it. I didn't know what relief I could bring him, but he said it helped. I must have been doing something right when I felt a sharp pop and he let out this loud moan.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Aaron snapped.

"Bow chicka wah wah," Billy said.

Zak splashed them both.

"Feel better?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," he said.

I continued, not really watching the movie. I hated Batman. Don't tell Zak. I was more interested in his back tattoo. I always had my eyes fixated on it when he was walking in front of me. I was reminded of the episode of Poveglia Island. I wasn't there, of course, but I remembered that look in his eyes. Even with night-vision and on a shitty television it scared the bejeezus out of me. I couldn't even imagine what was going on in his mind when that happened. But the resulting tattoo was really cool.  
I reached my fingers up and traced down from the point of the wings on his neck and down into the water and back up again. Zak leaned his head back in my lap and looked up at me.

"Did you like your surprise?" he murmured.

I looked down at him and wrapped my arms around him.

"I loved my surprise," I said.

That made him smile.

"Did you have a good night?" he asked.

I nodded and kissed his forehead. I knew there wouldn't be many dates like that because we were so busy, but I was grateful that I could spend at least one evening every once in a while with this wonderful human being.


	26. Lockdown

"Oh my God! Look at you!" this weird, high-pitched voice gushed.

With the tone and the pitch, I could have sworn Nikki was talking to me. When I turned to see Zak and his phone in my face, I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"Get that out of my face."

"No! Michael, look here. I want to see you," he said.

I obeyed, but had to close my eyes so the makeup artist could apply even more black eyeshadow. Zak was acting like a mother before their daughter's prom. It was sickening.  
We were in the ballroom of the Crescent Hotel where they were getting ready to film a party reenactment. There were all sorts of actors and actresses from the network and many locals who wanted a cameo. Zak and I arrived early, around seven in the morning, and I was immediately fitted for a dress on the spot and was now getting my hair and makeup done.  
I looked into the mirror in front of me in shock when the makeup artist said she was finished. I had never worn so much eye makeup in my life! But the job she did was amazing! I could never duplicate it.

"How's it feel to wear a dress, Mikey?" Zak asked, his phone still recording.

"Shut up," I said grumpily.

Zak laughed.

"As soon as we're done, this dress is coming off and the jeans are going back on," I stated.

Zak shook his head.

"No. You have to wear it all day," he said.

"The hell I am!" I snapped.

I didn't even get to have breakfast this morning. Plus, we were up until midnight in the pool. Yes, I was bitchy.

"Honey, what did you do your hair?" the hairdresser asked, "It feels like hay."

I bit my lip.

"That would be chlorine," I said, "I tried to wash it out good."

The hairdresser groaned and attacked my hair with a teasing comb. I squeaked.

"I'm going to kill you, Bagans," I growled.

Zak just laughed. He was getting a kick out of this. This was not funny!

Later, the film crew had me standing in the staircase ready to come on down and then fall to my death.  
The story of the Lady in Red is about a young woman who was coming down the stairs to a party, who mother called her and startled her, and she tumbled over the short railing and to her death. We had a stuntwoman for the tumble (thank God!) but I still dreaded the walk and the cameras on me. It was harder to handle with Zak not around for this part of filming, but I could handle it.  
The walk was fairly easy and it was over before I knew it. All I had to do was walk slowly down the staircase near the edge, get startled by the actress who was playing my mom, then it was a cut. That part was actually kind of scary. The railing I knew was not stable and it was still barely three feet tall, as if always had been. It was a little nerve-wracking for someone who is afraid of heights to see that not much is keeping you from safety and the basement floor at the bottom of the tower.  
Then, I was supposed to lay flat on the basement floor where the lady hit with my eyes closed and my mouth parted as if I were dead. It was really strange, but kind of fun.  
Afterwards, I spoke with the film crew before taking off through the lobby and back into the ballroom. The party actors were out of costume and most had already headed out the door. I found Zak casually walking through. He smiled at me as I entered.

"I feel like Katniss Everdeen," I hissed at him.

Zak looked confused. I rolled my eyes.

"Never mind. That was some serious era-cue stuff. I'll be surprised if we don't catch that lady tonight," I said.

Zak nodded.

"Don't ever make me wear a dress again," I griped.

"Oh, Michael, come on. I think the dress suits you," he said.

I was beginning to grow impatient. I hadn't gotten my nap out, I was hungry, and my face felt like it had a mud mask on it from all the makeup. I wanted to go back to the hotel and sleep until lockdown.  
Zak cupped my face in his hands, startling me.

"Hey," he said softly.

When I saw this warm look in his eyes, I quickly forgot about grabbing a muffin and falling asleep.  
I reached up for his wrists and clutched them.

"You look beautiful, sweetie," he said.

I smiled and reached around his neck to hug him.

"Thank-you," I said.

Across the ballroom, someone had a radio playing. Zak looked down and winked at me. He had this familiar glint in his eyes.

"What?" I asked, smiling.

Zak said nothing as he placed one of my hands on his shoulder and he placed one of his hands on my waist.

"This is a ballroom, you know," he pointed out.

Instead of refusing, I took his free hand. It was a good thing Nick had given me those "dance lessons." Dancing was not something that I felt comfortable with. It was one of those things where I could feel indifferent to seeing someone else do it, but when I stepped up to the plate, it was a whole different ball game.  
A lot of factors go into my being comfortable with something. One is if I've done if before and it never gave me a negative impression. The only person I have danced with before is Nick, so this wasn't so bad. However, I think the main factor that went into this was that I involuntarily thought of security when I was around Zak. It was not like he would never make me do something I was not comfortable with, because that is how he pushed us to be stronger. It was the thought of knowing he would never hurt me on purpose and that we enjoyed being with each other that made me dance with him instead of getting out of this stupid dress. Plus, dancing with him was just ridiculously romantic (sickening, but still sweet) and I loved that little electrical jolt I got from touching him.  
The song playing on the radio was relatively fast and not something a couple would swing around a ballroom to, but we didn't care.

"Spin, Mikey," Zak said.

I laughed as Zak held me at arm's length. I spun as I was told, making the end of the dress flare out like a tutu. Zak spun me back into him. I got dizzy and stumbled in the heels, accidentally smacking right into his hard chest. He laughed at me. I kicked the things off, sending them flying across the room. Now I stood barefoot and back at the height of his collarbone instead of his nose.  
Zak slipped his arms around me and clasped his hands together at the center of my lower back. I followed suit and laid my head on his chest. Zak began to softly sing whatever the song was. I didn't know it. All I knew was that it was rock, which was perfectly fine with me. Although, I could have sworn I had heard the song before. At a concert? On Zak's phone? Pandora? I don't know.  
Suddenly, my stomach grumbled loudly, vibrating not just my insides, but Zak, seeing as I was pressed up against him. As soon as that happened, I looked up at Zak and smiled meekly. His eyes were wide and he had an eyebrow arched.

"Don't tell me you're hungry," he said playfully.

I clicked my teeth together and grinned widely.

"And after all that food we had yesterday," he went on.

"Hey! You ate more than me!" I said defensively.

"It was _so_ good, though!" he said as he laid his cheek on top of my head.

"That place is the only restaurant Nikki would eat at one time when we came down here," I said.

Zak laughed.

"I don't blame him," he said.

We stood in silence for a little bit longer. Zak continued to hum the song until it went off. We were no longer dancing, but just kind of swaying from side to side. The rest of the actors had left and the remnants of the film crew were beginning to dissipate.

"You wanna run down to the Exxon and get some little something before be go downtown and meet up with the guys?" Zak asked.

"As soon as I get out of this dress," I said with a laugh.

Zak smiled and let me go change before we got into the van. It was cold as hell this morning. I had never been to Eureka Springs in winter, so I wasn't prepared for the blast of icy air that hit me when Zak and I walked out the door. Yes, I was outside earlier, but I was too nervous about filming to realize how cold it was.  
As soon was we got in the van, I threw on my hoodie and wadded myself up on the cold leather seat. Zak turned the heat on full blast and we drove back through the narrow winding roads by Victorian homes turned bed and breakfasts.

"I've always wanted to live here," I murmured as we drove passed a big pink Victorian with antique lamps in the windows and an elderly couple on the porch.

The colors weren't unusual in this town, for everything was colorful. Pink, purple, and even blue houses were the norm. I think that's what attracted me to this town the most, other than the ghosts: that anything odd and different in a normal setting was accepted here. I could relate.

"Or even just retire here," I added.

I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Zak smile as he looked around. I knew this place was not his scene. He was a Vegas boy and I knew he probably always would be. I know I couldn't see him living in a place like this.  
We stopped back at the hotel so Zak could sit and check his email and Twitter account while I tried to get the makeup off of my face and straighten my hair back out. It was a futile effort, though. The hairdresser had put my hair in a curly up-do and there was no straightening my hair when it was curled like that. I would have to leave it curly and throw a beanie on it.

"Dammit," I said.

"What, babe?" Zak asked from my bed.

I turned around with a hairbrush in my hand.

"Will we have time to come back here before lockdown?" I asked.

Zak locked his phone and stared at the ceiling, trying to think.

"If we do, it'll probably be about half an hour or so. Not much time," he replied.

I groaned and attacked my hair with the brush, trying to brush out all of that hairspray. I didn't want to have curly hair for lockdown.

"Why?" Zak asked curiously.

"Well, I kind of wanted to wash out all of this product and straighten my hair out before lockdown," I replied.

Zak got up and came up behind me. I slammed my brush down as he took a curly piece between his fingers.

"Why don't I go ahead and run to the store and grab us something to eat while you do your hair and get ready?" he suggested.

I was still being whiney. Dammit.

"No, we can go," I said.

Zak quickly pecked my cheek.

"Already made up my mind. I'll be back in a little bit," he said.

I spun around to say something to him, but he had already grabbed the van keys and was out the door.

"Dammit," I muttered.

I looked over at the digital clock on the nightstand. It was nearly ten. Shit! We were burning daylight!  
I quickly gathered some of my toiletries and shut myself in the bathroom to wash my hair and get the rest of that nasty makeup off of my face.  
When Zak returned, I had already straightened most of my hair and was just applying mascara when he knocked. When I opened the door, he had a box of maple Long Johns and a bottle of apple juice in his hands. I happily took them from him and kissed his cheek. He must have read my mind, because I was craving those.  
Later, we met up with the guys and ran out to the Christ of the Ozarks. Aaron wanted pictures of it. I Big Stepped with Aaron in front of it and got some good promo pictures of the boys. Later, we headed down to the train station and got some pictures before heading downtown to eat and shop. Zak started in on his workouts and missing the gym, but I told him he wouldn't need it for all the climbing we were going to do, and I was right. The downtown sidewalks were up hill all the way. Great calf workout.  
For lunch, we ran out for a burger and then later met down at the Basin Spring Park to have dinner before beginning our lockdown at the hotel. Needless to say, I was pretty excited.

Xxx

Being that both the Basin Park Hotel and the Crescent Hotel were fully operating businesses, we could only get locked down in a few areas. In the Basin Park Hotel, we could only get a few rooms. We received several EVPs and Nick had the chills, but we didn't really capture much, but that's not the only hotel we came to investigate.  
At the Crescent, we had free reign over the basement and morgue and the entire third floor to ourselves. Billy set up a nest in Dr. Baker's Bistro, a restaurant on location named after the quack doctor who contributed to the building's hauntings, where Zak had me looking at pictures of ghosts that other people had taken and analyzing them.

"We are _here_ with our photographer and photo analyst, Michael Wilde, who has investigated this hotel before and _knows_ its ghosts."

I rolled my eyes. There wasn't much that annoyed me about Zak, but if I had to pick anything, it was his tone that he used on camera. It was like that bizarre way of talking news reporters used. I had to admit, it did grab your attention and made you watch the show.

"Tonight, we will be joined by Michael on our investigation of the 1886 Crescent Hotel to learn why this building is considered one of America's most haunted hotels."

They cut to approach me, then began rolling again.

"Mikey, what have you got for us?" Zak sat down beside me and asked.

I shifted through the pictures.

"You know, at first I thought these were going to be a lot of pictures of just orbs. I know that when a lot of people come here they capture on camera. The thing with orbs is that when you take a picture with just a simple camera and they end up being big blobs, a lot of people think they're actual manifestations but when you capture several or even a ton in one shot, it's most likely dust. Like in this one," I said, showing Zak and the cameras a shot of one of the stairwell columns with light coming in from the ceiling skylight.

"That's just dust. You have to be really careful with orbs. There are also a lot of pictures with ectoplasmic manifestations."

"Oh wow. That almost looks like smoke in this. It's so clear," Zak said, pointing to a shot taken up on the top floor balcony just outside where we were located.

"I know, and a lot of people go out there to smoke, so it could very well be cigarette smoke. But in others like this one..."

I handed Zak a photo of a ghostly mist captured in front of the infamous Number 2 locker taken in the morgue.

"That is definitely not smoke. I do believe that is actual mist from a spirit. Now, these two I cannot explain."

I handed Zak a photo of a woman's face captured in the wall and another of the locker with a man's hand reaching out to open the locker doors.

"Whoa! What the fuck? That is so clear!" Zak exclaimed.

"I know. It even has skin tone, which is what freaked me out! At first I thought that it _may_ have been a long exposure shot, but that would have been very difficult to do with a wide angle shot. Maybe TAPS was right about the locker," I said and laughed.

Zak smiled.

"Well, maybe we can get some answers tonight about that locker. Where is it at?" Zak asked.

"In the maintenance room in the morgue," I replied.

"Okay, we'll do that near the end. For now, Michael?"

"Oh God," I grumbled.

"Are you ready?" Zak asked.

I nodded. Zak led the way and we headed back down the stairs until we reached the lobby. Hardly anyone was down there, seeing as it was supper time for most people. We stood at stairs, Aaron up higher and Nick focused in on Zak and I. We began rolling as soon as Aaron was situated.

"So, what happened on these stairs, Michael?" Zak asked.

"There was a woman who was coming down the stairs and she was going to a party. Her mother was down below and she called for her. It startled the woman, causing her to trip over the railing and fall to her death down there on the basement floor," I replied.

I pointed down the middle of the stairs to the beige tile flooring.

"Right beside that antique love seat, I believe," I said.

"You think we may see her tonight, Mikey?" Aaron asked.

I turned to him and smiled.

"Since we did that reenactment?" I asked.

Aaron smiled and nodded.

"Possibly," I said.

Zak led the way up to the 3rd floor that we had all to ourselves. When we reached the floor, I grabbed one of the decorative ball things on the corner of the stairs and shook it.

"This stuff isn't very sturdy at all. No wonder she fell," I said.

"Do you think this is original railing, Mikey? It's so short," Nick said.

"It probably is. They warn you not to walk to close to the edge because you'll lose your balance and fall," I said.

"Oh, my. Aaron, get away from the railing," Zak said.

Aaron laughed.

"I'm not going to fall, bro," he said.

Zak turned back to me.

"So what do people see in here, Mikey?"

"All sorts of stuff. People say they've seen nurses, nurses pushing gurneys, patients, people in Victorian attire, and even Dr. Norman Baker himself," I replied.

Zak turned around to recap about Dr. Baker. Dr. Baker was an vaudeville magician turned "surgeon." He bought the Crescent and turned it into a cancer hospital. The man had absolutely no medical training and had never been licensed.

"Michael, what was it he used on someone's brain one time?" Zak asked.

Oh gross. I remembered that story.

"I believe it was a mixture of spring water and crushed watermelon seeds or something like that," I replied.

"How are watermelon seeds going to cure brain cancer?" Nick asked.

I just shrugged.

"Why did people keep coming here? Why didn't they do their research? They literally had hearse parades coming from here every day," I said.

"Now, Michael and Aaron had a paranormal experience with a cat," Zak said.

Aaron and I looked at each other.

"Hey, they have claims of ghost cats here, too," I said.

"So, what happens on this floor, Mikey?" Zak asked me.

We walked along the hallway and I told him about the little boy who is seen playing in the hallways and a certain area of the hallways where people would pass out.

"Pass out?" Zak asked.

We walked over to an intersection in the hallway under a light.

"Yeah. Apparently, a woman fell over dead here, but I think people pass out by this point because there's no air circulation," I said.

"It is kind of hot up here," Aaron said, waving his hand in front of his face.

"Not like the Basin," I said.

Zak backtracked and led us to a specific room on the floor.

"Now, there is a spirit that is said to haunt this room. This is where Michael and I are going to be investigating before we go down into the basement and into the morgue. Michael, who haunts in here?" Zak asked.

I smiled.

"It's an omen. Zak, I don't want to do that room," I said.

Zak walked up and pressed his hand to the door. Aaron was laughing.

"Yes you do," he said.

"Michael, what's the name of the ghost in there?" Aaron asked.

I sighed and put my hands in my front pockets.

"They call him Michael," I replied.

"Who was Michael, Mikey?" Zak asked cheekily.

I sighed and enlightened them.

"Michael was an Irish stone mason. He was working up above here and a rock fell on him and he landed in that room," I replied.

"The people who work the ghost tour told me that he is a bit of a flirt and likes to mess with women. So, Mikey, we're going to use you as a trigger object," Zak said.

"Again?" Nick laughed.

Zak nodded.

"I'm not going in there," I said.

"Michael, he's not evil. This won't be like last time. Plus, I'm coming in there with you," Zak said.

"I know, but I'm still not going in there," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Unless you want to go to the morgue with me?" Aaron asked.

"No, you're doing that by yourself, Aaron. Michael, let's go. Nick, you'll be investigating this hall and the stairs," Zak said.

"Gotcha," Nick said.

"Ready to go to night-vision?" Zak asked.

"Ready," Nick and Aaron said in unison.

Aaron handed Zak a hand-held camera and opened the door.

"Showtime," he said.

Zak and I entered the dark hotel room.

"I can't see shit," I hissed.

I felt Zak's warm hand wrap around my icy cold fingers.

"Why are you so cold?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"I'm always cold," I replied.

Zak led me over to the bed and we sat down at the foot. He turned the camera to face us.

"So right now we're in the room where a spirit named Michael is said to flirt with women and even touch him. So we're going to see if Michael can get Michael to touch her," Zak said, then laughed at his joke.

"You're so funny," I said sarcastically.

"Mikey's mad," he said.

"I'm not mad," I said, getting up from my seat.

"So, what we're going to do right now is-shit, were is it?"

"Where's what?" I asked.

"The-oh! Never mind. I found it. So, what we're going to do right now is a quick EVP session. Michael, why don't you speak to him? See if you can get him to come out," Zak suggested.

"Okay."

I saw Zak move within the light of the LCD screen on his camera, then a little red light appeared as he pressed Record on his digital recorder.

"Is there anyone in here with us?" Zak asked.

Right then, not a second after Zak ended his question, we heard this muffled clanking sound.

"I just heard something," Zak said.

"I did, too," I said.

Zak got up and moved towards the bathroom. I followed him as he pushed open the door. Every time we opened doors, I got scared. It was like watching those horror movies. You never open the door!  
However, there was nothing in there.

"It sounded like it came from the toilet," I said.

Zak walked in and shook the lid to the tank. It made this glassy clanking noise.

"Like that?" he asked.

"Kind of," I replied.

Zak held the recorder back up.

"Did you just make that sound? Can you make it again?" Zak asked.

We waited for more sounds. Zak jumped when he heard murmuring. I recognized the tone as Nick's.

"What the hell?" he asked.

"That was Nick passing by," I replied.

"Oh," he said and went back to the EVP session.

"Is there anyone in here with us? My name's Zak. This is my friend Michael. Was your name Michael, too, or was that just what the staff called you?" Zak asked.

We waited some time before Zak ended the EVP session.

"Mikes, I'm not feeling anything in here," Zak said.

I wasn't feeling anything either.

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm in here. Hang on," he said.

Zak slipped out beside me and stood outside the door.

"Pretend you're going to shower. See if he'll come in and touch you," Zak said.

I did as I was told and stood in the shower. I didn't dare close the curtain, though.

"Do you like to flirt with girls? Come flirt with Mikey. She's pretty," Zak said.

"Oh, now who's being the flirt?" I quipped.

"Mikey, shush!" he said.

I just smiled and looked around the shower.

"If you're here, how about you come touch me. Come give me a kiss on the cheek?" I asked.

In the faint light of the LCD screen, I saw Zak tense with jealous. I smiled to myself. I had said that on purpose.  
I held out my hand.

"Do you want to come hold my hand?" I asked the air.

There was a shift in the air that made Zak twitch nervously. My hand suddenly went cold and I was frozen in place.

"Oh! My God! Zak, come here!" I said.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Dude! My hand is ice cold. Someone is holding my hand!" I said.

Zak stepped into the bathroom, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, it was gone.

"It's gone," I said.

"What?" Zak asked.

"It's gone. As soon as you came in, my hand went warm again," I said.

"How do you know? Your hands were ice cold when we came in," Zak argued.

"Zak, this was the one you were holding! It was warm," I said.

Zak smirked. He reached out and grabbed the hand that the spirit had held.

"I swear to you, Zak, it felt like an icy cold hand was holding mine!" I said.

"I believe you. Here. Get out of the shower," he said.

Holding his hand, I climb out of the shower and walked over in front of the sink. Zak started a spirit box session. I raked my fingers through my hair, pretending I was brushing it in an attempt to get the spirit of Michael to tug on my hair. Zak handed me the camera so I could film him.

"Were you holding Michael's hand?" Zak asked.

There was an immediate bark that came from spirit box, but there were no voices.

"Where are you from?" I asked, "It may work if I talk."

There was a noise that came from the box. Zak looked up to me and pointed to the box.

"Did that same Dublin?" he asked.

My eyes grew wide.

"Like Dublin, Ireland?" I asked.

"Keep asking questions," Zak urged.

"Okay. How did you die? Were you working and something fell on you?" I asked.

The spirit box whirred and spoke. I could have sworn it said "fell from ladder."

"Fell from ladder?" Zak asked.

"That's what I heard!" I said excitedly.

Zak decided to ask questions. While he did that, I felt breathing on the back of my head.

"Someone is breathing on me right now," I said.

Zak looked up.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Like, no shit," I replied.

"Stand your ground," he said.

"I'm not going anywhere. I know who it is," I said.

I turned around to look for the spirit of Michael, but there was no one there. I then felt fingers rake through my hair.

"Zak, are you touching my hair?" I asked.

"No."

"Someone is touching me," I said quietly.

"Are you touching Michael's hair right now?" Zak asked, the spirit box blaring.

I was really beginning to get annoyed with that thing.

"_Sorry_," rang clear out of the spirit box.

I looked over the camera's LCD to Zak. I could just barely see the camera light reflecting off of his eyes. He looked spooky in the dark.

"He's talking to you now, I think," I whispered.

We wrapped up our investigation in the "Michael Room" and thanked him for speaking with us before rejoining Nick out in the hallway. Nick said he had heard voices and chased a shadow down the hall.

"Did you get it on camera, bro?" Zak asked.

"I think I did," Nick replied.

"Sweet. Michael, I'm going to leave you up here with Nick. I'm going to go down into the morgue and check on Aaron. What time do you got, Nick?" Zak asked.

"2:04," Nick replied.

"Okay. At around three, come on down to the morgue," Zak ordered.

We nodded. As Zak approached the stairs he turned and pointed a finger at Nick.

"You watch her!" he said strictly.

"Holy hell, Zak! Who do you think I am? Aaron?" Nick asked, sounding hurt.

"Zak, that'll be enough!" I snapped.

That shut him up. Really, I could take care of myself. I knew this hotel like the back of my hand, unless of course they moved something in the two years I had been gone. I appreciated how overprotective he was, but still, Nick had already been in kind of a bad mood. I couldn't help but defend him.

"I've got this," I said to Zak.

Zak looked down his nose at the ground, not saying anything. I walked over to him and put my hand on his cheek.

"Zak, this is not Lanark. The spirits here are mostly residual. There's nothing here to hurt us," I said.

Zak sighed. He wouldn't make eye contact. This reminded me of the time when we were trying to get the shower going in the camper and he snapped at me.

"And I'm not alone up here. I'll be fine," I said.

Zak finally looked up at me.

"Every time you say that, something bad happens," Zak said.

I groaned.

"Zak, please. You have _got_ to learn to trust me again."

"I do trust you. It's the spirits I don't trust," he said.

I just smiled at him.

"You need to start having a little faith, sweetheart," I said.

I hardly ever called Zak any names like that, but when I did, it cheered him up. Zak reached up and took my hand, smiling back at me.

"Now, apologize to Nick and get your ass downstairs. We're wasting time," I said.

Nick laughed.

"You're really starting to sound like Zak, Mikes," he said.

I looked over my shoulder at him.

"I gotta keep you boys in line," I said cockily.

Nick grinned. I turned back to Zak.

"Go make sure Aaron's still alive. And please be careful down there," I said.

Zak looked alarmed.

"Why? What's down there?" he asked worriedly.

I just patted his chest.

"Go on!" I said.

Zak smiled and turned around to descend the stairs. I leaned carefully over the railing to watch as he made it was down into the basement and passed the area where the lady fell.

"Mikey, come over here," Nick said.

I turned around and walked over to Nick. He turned around and leaned over to pick up a thermal camera sitting against the wall. This is when I noticed that the lights in the hall were still on.

"Hey, Nick?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he asked as he handed me the thermal and adjusted something on his night-vision camera.

"Why aren't the lights off?" I asked.

Nick looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Bro, I didn't even have time. As soon as Aaron went downstairs and you and Zak went into that room," Nick pointed to the door, "I saw someone run down the hall and turn right."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

"No one is supposed to be up here," I said.

Nick large brown eyes widened even more.

"I know! As far as I knew, no one was," he said, his voice skipping an octave in excitement.

I began to head towards the area of the hall where Nick saw the person.

"Turn your camera on and follow me," I ordered.

Nick quickly began recording and followed me down the red-walled hallway.

"Was it down here?" I asked.

"Yeah," Nick replied.

"What did it look like? A shadow figure?" I asked.

"Well, no, actually."

I stopped walking, causing Nick to stop.

"It was more of a transparent person. But they were wearing this like, old lady dress. I don't know how to explain it," he said.

"Like Victorian garb?" I asked.

"Yeah! Exactly!" Nick said.

I thought for a moment. Most of the spirits that were seen up here were stuck in the Crescent's hospital era.

"I wonder if it could have been the ghost of Theodora?" I asked.

"The patient of Dr. Baker's? That's what I thought, too," he said.

I waved for Nick to resume following me.

"Nick, this part of the hallway is a dead end, if I remember correctly," I said.

We came to the intersection where it was said that people would pass out. I turned to the right and sure enough, dead end.

"Just a mirror," I said.

"Yeah, but remember what you said about mirrors earlier? You had a weird feeling them about them here," Nick said.

I stopped and thought about that as I looked up at the reflection of Nick and I. Mirrors gave me the creeps here. It was something about the atmosphere of the town. It was so bright and cheerful, but it could not and probably would never escape its brutal and strange history. And it was all reflected in the mirrors.  
But Nick had me thinking about something else that Zak had told me about a long time ago. Back when I first started and he was trying to explain how ghosts exist, he told me that they almost live in a different dimension. A different time plane. It got me to thinking about certain movies and how sometimes people who pass through mirrors to travel to an alternate dimension. What if the apparition Nick had seen passed into the mirror and into the dimension it belonged to that Zak was talking about? Mirrors saw all, after all.

"You don't think it maybe crossed into a dimension through that mirror?" I asked Nick.

He shrugged.

"I don't know. But these halls are weird. This is just a dead end. There's not even any doors to any rooms. It's a useless area," he said as he stepped around the area.

I suddenly remembered a room that I learned about when I first hunted here. It had been sealed off for some reason, which just added to the creepiness of the hotel.

"You do know they used to seal off rooms here?" I asked.

Nick nodded as he approached the wall to the left of us.

"Yeah, that's what the guy who does the ghost tours told us. But usually you can see where they sealed it up. These walls seem intact. Even where the mirror is," he said.

"Well, Nick this did used to be Dr. Baker's funhouse. There was all sorts of secret passageways to transport the hundreds of bodies that came through here," I said.

Nick's eyes got big.

"You don't think that maybe the apparition I saw went through a passageway? Maybe that's why this hallways is so short!"

I shrugged.

"We'll never know," I said.

Nick had this determined look on his face as he glanced back over to the mirror.

"Well we can try and find out. Come on. Let's go shut the lights out and see if we catch anything else," he said.

After Nick shut off the lights, the atmosphere changed. Nick had me sitting in the floor near the stairs with the thermal while he was way off at the other end of the hall. I watched in the thermal as Nick moved around. As I watched, I noticed he put his camera down and came marching back.

"Hey, Mikey?" he called.

"Yeah?"

"Come here," he said.

I left the thermal cam running and stood to my feet in the near pitch black darkness.

"Where are you, Nick?" I asked.

Near the intersection, I saw a flashlight come on. I power-walked over to him and he handed me his night-vision camera.

"Here, take this," he said with a croaky voice.

I pointed the camera to him.

"Bro, you don't sound like yourself," I pointed out.

The light shined just right where I could see his face. His eyes were full of tears.

"I don't feel like myself, Mikey!" he cried out.

"Nick, what's wrong?" I asked.

Nick shook his head.

"I was fine until a few moments ago. I felt weak and sad. It was like this idea came over me that I wouldn't be able to be happy any longer. It was weird," he said, tears now sliding down his face, "It was like I was channeling some one else's emotions. Like, maybe a patient that knew they were going to die. I don't know. I can't handle that kinda shit, Mikey."

Nick was rubbing his eyes and trying to get himself to stop crying. I reached up and hugged him, which made him cry harder. I had never, ever, ever seen Nick Groff get emotional like this on a lockdown. I gotta say, it hurt me.

"Someone has been trying to connect with you since we got here, Nick," I said.

Nick sniffed and let out this disheartening "I know."

"Do you need a break?" I asked.

Nick let go of me and shook his head.

"No, I'll be alright. Let's get out of this area. Where's the thermal cam?" he asked.

I pointed down the hall.

"I left it running," I said.

Nick pulled me towards the end of the hall.

"Let's go check it and see if we caught anything," he suggested.

I followed him down the hall and he picked up the camera while I filmed the review in regular vision.  
It was a few moments before I saw something roll down and across the hall and disappear.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

Nick rewound the video and played it again. A purple ball bounced out from the intersection where Nick said he saw the apparition of a woman in Victorian dress. The ball rolled (yes, ROLLED!) down towards the camera before disappearing into the wall.

"Oh my God! Nick, did they tell you the story about the little boy?" I asked excitedly.

Nick nodded. I moved the camera up and switched on night-vision.

"Yeah! They said he was a patient here and used to play with a bouncy ball in the hall," he said.

"That must have been his ball," I said.

"That's so awesome! Come on. We've gotta go down and show Zak. It's almost three," he said.

"Let's go," I agreed.

By the light of Nick's flashlight, we ended our investigation upstairs and made our way all the way down into the basement.

"So, what when on down here, Mikes?" Nick asked, the camera on me as we turned down the narrow hall into the area of the morgue they had turned into the laundry room. The area where autopsies were performed was still left in tact. Incinerator, table and all.

"Lots of shit. This is the area of the hotel where on the ghost tours, they won't tell you a whole lot. Apparently, though, a bunch of German scientists came in and did weird experiments on bodies and stuff. I don't think even the hospital staff knew what was going on," I explained.

"That's fucked up," Nick commented as I opened the morgue door.

We stepped in and looked around. Instead of gurney, freezers and bodies, there was nothing but industrial sized washing machines and dryers and hampers. It smelled thickly of fabric softener.

"This is so creepy," Nick whispered.

I walked over to the next door, knocked, and then opened it.

"Incoming," I said loudly.

We walked into the dark autopsy room where Aaron and Zak had the incinerator door open. Zak had himself shoulder deep in it.

"Zak get out of that. That's so gross," Aaron said.

Zak backed out and shut the wooden door.

"Hey, guys," he greeted, "There's still ash in there."

"That's disgusting," I said.

"I know. Did you guys find anything?" Zak asked.

Nick shut the door behind us.

"Can't see shit," I grumbled.

"Dude! We found so much. I saw an apparition. I didn't catch it on tape because I was going to turn the lights off and that's when I saw it. Then, Mikey caught this ball on the thermal. Here, look," Nick said.

He held up the thermal to review what I had caught.

"Holy shit! What the hell?" Zak exclaimed.

"That's so cool, Mikey," Aaron praised.

"What were you two doing over there?" Zak asked.

Nick sighed heavily.

"We were talking. You guys know I never get really emotional, but I was down at the end of the hall and I felt like I was getting channeled. I just felt really sad all of a sudden," Nick explained.

"By a patient, maybe?" Zak asked.

"Bro, I don't know. It was just weird," Nick replied.

"You're okay now, though, right?" Zak asked.

"Yeah," Nick said.

"Just making sure. Okay, let's debunk this locker situation," Zak said.

I heard movement beside me and saw LCD screens light up.

"Michael, where are you?" Zak asked.

I took a baby step towards his voice. I couldn't see anything.

"Right here," I said.

"Hey, there's a coffee machine sitting on the autopsy table," Aaron said randomly.

Nick turned to him and laughed.

"Michael, come here, sweetheart. I don't want you running into anything. There's a lot of clutter. Aaron already fell twice," he said.

I felt around and felt his hand take mine.

"Hey! You tripped over nothing," Aaron said.

"Not the point. Let's go ahead and go into the room with the locker," Zak said.

Nick went first so we could see by his camera light. Zak held me close as we walked in front of the door hearses would back into and we squeezed into the maintenance room. The locker was placed right beside the door. Aaron followed us in.

"Now, this is the locker many have seen manifestations in front of. It is also the same locker that TAPS captured a full bodied apparition in," Zak said to Nick's camera.

"Bullshit!" flew out of my mouth before I could even self-edit.

Zak stifled a laugh.

"And Michael thinks it's bullshit. We're going to see if we can get any proof tonight."

As soon as Zak finished speaking, there was a loud slam. Aaron spun around to look back out into the autopsy room. I could see his face in the light coming from the room.

"Holy shit! Guys, this door just slammed wide open!" Aaron exclaimed.

Nick, Zak and I slipped out of the room.

"Dude! I just shut that door!" Nick shouted.

Zak zoomed out the room and out the door. We followed him into the laundry room as he fished a digital recorder out of his pocket.

"Is there anyone in here?" Zak called out.

We stood in silence as Zak walked further into the laundry room.

"Can you make a noise for us?" Zak asked.

Nothing but the hum of washing machines. Aaron turned to face the door we had just passed through.

"Can you close that door?" Aaron asked.

Just as he said it, the door closed. Zak spun around and glared at the door.

"Who just shut that door?" he asked.

"Bro, it wasn't us!" Nick said defensively, "We were standing right here."

"What the fuck?" Zak asked.

"Bro, let's review the audio. See if you captured any EVP's," Nick said.

Zak walked over to us and played back the audio. What he caught sent chills through all of us.

"...Is there anyone in here?"

"_I'm...doctor...Baker..._"


	27. Hotel Transylvania

**April 3rd. 3:00 a.m.**

This lockdown could not have come at a better time. I mean, honestly, I think someone planned this. Who knew that our trip to Romania landed right on Zak's birthday?  
We boarded the plane from New York several hours ago, and Zak and I were the only ones awake. Zak was sitting beside me reading Bram Stoker's _Dracula_ and getting himself in the vampire mood. I had never read the book or seen the movie. Yes, how dare I? Especially since Zak tried to get into some of the things I loved so we could share interests. However, I just never got into the original. I was more of a fan of the Universal Studios 1931 version, which is why I was watching _Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein_ instead (which is still a vampire movie) on one side of my laptop screen and researching basic sentences in Romanian on the other. I knew very little Russian, some German and even some Spanish, so adding a little Romanian to the list sounded like a plan. In any case, it couldn't hurt.  
Zak moved my hair aside and popped an earbud out of my ear.

"What, babe?" I asked as I read up on Romanian pronunciation.

"Whatcha reading?" he asked as he perched his chin on my shoulder.

I turned my head to look at him and smiled. I was loving this good mood he was in. It helped me to be in a better mood.

"Romanian. Learning how to say 'Where's the bathroom?' and such," I replied.

Zak smiled.

"Let's watch _Dracula_," he said, "See if you can find it on YouTube or something."

"But, Zak! I'm just about to get to the good part of this movie," I said.

"What part is that?" he asked.

I reached down and picked up an earbud to hand to him. He lifted his chin from my shoulder and took the earbud between his fingers and stuck it in his ear. I maximized the movie window and pressed play. This was the scene where Count Dracula gets in an argument with Sandra and then bites her and turns her. They screwed up because you can see Dracula in the mirror, but it's still the best scene in the whole movie.

"This is the part where he turns her into his vampire slave because she's too hard-headed to do as she's told as a human," I explained.

Zak looked up at me and smirked.

"Sounds like someone else I know," he said.

I just smiled at him and resumed the clip. Zak pushed up the armrest and wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on my shoulder. His gelled hair was poking the side of my cheek like damn vampire fangs.  
We watched as Count Dracula hypnotized Sandra by making her look into his eyes. I had always had this little fantasy about this scene. When he took her and bit down on her neck, she had this look of pure ecstasy on her face. My love of vampires mixed in with my love for Bela Lugosi made only escalated my fantasy that was associated with this scene. I had to bite my finger to keep my breathing under control.

"Goddammit. Even at 66 years old, he still made a sexy Dracula," I said.

Zak shifted against me as I continued to watch the movie. I shuddered when I felt hot breath on my ear.

"I could be your vampire," he whispered huskily.

I shivered, even though it felt like my entire body was on fire. I pressed Pause on the movie and turned my head towards him. Zak as my vampire? Oh my good golly gosh!  
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breathing under control. All at the same time, I hated and loved that he was doing this in public on an airplane. What better way to spend your time on a ten hour plane ride to Romania?  
I turned to him and smiled. He had this dark look in his eyes that was just...oof. It would have killed Nikki, that much I can describe.  
I reached up and ran a hand down his cheek.

"Only you can take me away from all of the death," I whispered.

Zak's eyes widened. That was a quote from _Bram Stoker's Dracula_ that I twisted to work for this.

"It's true," I went on, "I can be stuck in an oppressive state from a lockdown and I'll I'd have to do is look at you and the darkness will fade."

Zak reached for the hand on his cheek and brought it to his lips. I had to giggle as he kissed my knuckles. It was cheesy, but when he glanced up at me with those big blue eyes of his, it turned became sexy cheesy. God, that sounds wrong! Sexy cheese?  
Zak leaned over and pressed his forehead to mine.

"All this time, I thought Gracie was the only being to shine a little light in my life," he said softly.

God, I love this man!

"Oh, like I'm a huge ray of sunshine!" I said sarcastically.

Zak gave me this huge smile that made his cheeks push out in this cute, boyish way that I freaking adored! Then, his lips pressed into mine, making me go as limp as a marionette puppet when dropped. One of his hands grasped my face and the other took my shoulder and pulled me into him. I reached up and held the side of his neck with one hand and twiddled the coffin pendant he was wearing in another. This man knew how to kiss and by now knew how make me turn into goo. The mixture of his touch and the way he smelled turned me into putty. No one else had ever had that affect on me.  
When we were about struggling for breath, we broke apart and just stared at each other, trying to catch out breath. We needed to be alone. We had not had time to be together without the guys around since...February? My God! It was already April!

"Can we watch _Dracula_ now?" he asked.

I laughed and turned back to my laptop.

"Sure," I replied.

I logged onto YouTube and searched the movie, but nobody had the full thing uploaded. However, there were plenty of clips. I clicked on the trailer first so I could see what Zak was getting me into. The movie had Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder in it, so it should be pretty good, right?  
There was a narrator talking over the beginning, and I'll kiss your elbow if Zak didn't recite it word for word. The trailer cut to a spot where Dracula was over Mina and gently touching her jaw line with his fingertips. I had no idea this movie was this romantic. Surprised me!

"I have crossed oceans of time to find you," Zak recited in my ear.

His right hand reached over my collarbone and grasped my neck gently. His other hand moved my hair back to expose my neck. As his head moved in, I had to stop him. As incredibly gorgeous as this was, I had to.

"Zak, don't you dare," I said.

Zak abruptly stopped moving inwards. He glanced up at me with these puppy dog eyes.

"Don't you do it," I warned.

Zak pouted.

"Why not?"

I discovered a long time ago that I was extremely sensitive on my neck. Even the slightest touch was enough to make me nut out. I couldn't have that here. If his lips or teeth came in contact with my neck, he was in for it.  
I turned to Zak and put my hand on his chest.

"Just not here," I said.

"Why? What happens?" he asked, getting excited.

I smirked.

"I turn into a werewolf and howl," I replied jokingly.

Zak laughed and wrapped his arms around me. We were silent for a while. Zak remained holding me. I could not believe I was in a loving relationship with this man. I don't think it will ever sink in. This gorgeous, kind-hearted human being, who with his looks and money, could have any girl he wanted. Yet, he picked the Ghost Adventures Crew photographer. Go freaking figure! There was just one difference that separated me from the others, and that was the fact that I loved his dark side. It intrigued me, much like Mina Harker's attraction towards Dracula.  
Zak's hand slid around to hold my arm as he kept me in his embrace. I looked down to his Dracula's cross tattoo under a silver wristband. I reached down and took his wrist, turning it over so I could look at the tattoo. I felt Zak's head tilt down to look at what I was doing. I lightly traced over the black lines. This was one of those tattoos Zak didn't like to talk about, but I felt like I understood it. It not only symbolized his dark side, but it represented a side of him that wasn't for the public-a side for friends and loved ones.

"I would like to think of you as my vampire," I said, finally answering his question.

Zak hugged me with his free arm and kissed my forehead.

"Because, not only do I see what you see, but feel what you feel," I finished.

Zak moved his nose against my cheek as a way to scoop my face up, then molded his lips firmly against my own. When we parted, we remained inches from each other's faces.

"And I hope this birthday is the best one you've ever had," I whispered.

Zak smiled as he tenderly cupped my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"Oh, it will, sweetie. It will."

Xxx

We landed in Bucharest, Romania at 3:00 PM. Zak's was in a state of pure bliss. This was one of his dream lockdowns and we were privileged to be here. The real lockdown day was on April 5th, which is Zak's birthday. I was so happy for him. I had never seen him so...giddy.  
We had to catch a bus from the airport that would take us to the town of Bristita where our hotel was, which was a freaking six hour drive! It was another four hour drive from there to the lockdown location, but that wasn't half as bad. Yes, we should have booked a closer hotel, but we could not pass up Hotel Castel Dracula.  
When we arrived late at around 9:00 PM, Zak was in heaven. The moment we entered the castle, a greeter came up to us and said "Welcome to Borgo Pass." Zak was nearly squealing and about to have fits.  
The only issue we had with the hotel was the low number of vacancies. We would have to pair up again. Guess who I'm stuck with?

"Michael, they're double bed rooms. It'll be alright," Nick said as we accepted our keys at the front desk.

Zak came up behind me and wrapped his muscular arms around my waist.

"It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before," he murmured in my ear.

I spun around and playfully smacked his chest.

"That was different!" I said.

Zak smiled and slipped his arms back around me.

"Well, I think this was meant to be," he said.

I scanned his face. He was helplessly adorable when he was tired. We had been on a plane for a little over ten hours and we were all suffering from jet lag. Zak's cheeks were pink from being outside. It was windy and cold here for spring time. He had this sweet smile on his face and his eyelids were droopy.

"I think you need sleep," I retorted.

Zak smiled widely, showing his teeth.

"I'm not sleeping through this. This is the most romantic place on Earth. This is what _Twilight_ should have been about," he said.

I smiled at that. I wrapped my arms around his torso.

"I must say, I agree," I said.

Zak tilted his head down to touch foreheads.

"This is my kind of romance. And to top it off, not only am I going to be doing my dream lockdown on my birthday, but I get to have my dream romance with my girl," he said.

I smiled widely as Zak leaned down to kiss me. I leaned into him and he pressed his lips harder against mine.

"I love you, Michael," he said when we broke apart.

"I love you, too, Zakula," I said cheekily.

Zak grinned at that and hugged me tightly.

"Happy Birthday, Zak," I said.

We moved apart. Zak scratched at his stubble.

"God, I feel so old," he complained.

I walked up to him and reached up to stroke my thumb down his goatee that was developing on his chin.

"Ah, yeah. I see some gray in that," I said.

Zak lightly swatted my hand away.

"Mikey, stop," he whined.

I laughed and threw my arms around his neck.

"Oh, I like it. Just adds to your hotness," I said teasingly.

"Oh, shut up!" he bit back.

We both smiled and I reached up to peck him on the lips.

"Besides, I turn 24 in two weeks. I'll be caught up again," I said.

Zak gave me a crooked smile. I reached down and took his hand.

"Let's go see our room, dragă," I said.

"Is that Romanian for dragon?" he asked.

I laughed.

"No, it means 'my dear,'" I replied.

"Oh," he said.

I laughed again. This was going to be a really fun trip.


	28. Knives and Teeth

**April 4th**

"Aaron's Vlog. We're here in Transylvania. Mikey and I are out vampire shopping!"

I shook my head and laughed. We were in Bistrita walking around and trying to find some sort of store where we could get Zak a present for his birthday.

"We're at Borgo Pass!" I said into the camera.

"To the castle?" Aaron quoted from _Dracula_ in his best Hungarian accent.

"Why, yes!" I said.

"No! You mustn't go there!" he exclaimed.

We both started laughing. Earlier that morning we were up in the hotel room watching part of my favorite version of _Dracula_ on my laptop before Aaron insisted we go shopping. Of course, this sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Not only did we not speak a lick of Romanian, but we weren't even sure how the money worked here. It was colorful though. Kind of like Canada's money.

"So right now we're walking around Bistrita trying to find a birthday present for Zak. This place is so cool but I think we're lost," Aaron said.

"We're not lost. I remember where we turned," I said.

"Oh okay. Good."

I just smiled as we continued walking.

"Dude, Aaron," I said.

"What?"

"Is it just me, or do you feel outrageously American?" I asked.

Aaron laughed.

"Dude, that's how I felt when we came to England last time," he said.

I laughed. I was serious, though. We just reeked of America. Especially since we were speaking English. I'm sure American tourists came through this town all the time, but I still felt very out of place here in historic Romania.

"Oh my gosh! Mikey, look!" Aaron exclaimed and pointed down the street.

"What?" I asked.

Down the street was a wooden sign hanging outside a shop door.

"You're Russian, Michael. What does that say?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, _Russian_. Not Romanian. I can only read like two words on that sign. Plus, I can't speak any Russian. Nikki is the only one who studied it," I replied.

Back in November when I had everyone over at The Hollow, the subject of our names came up. We explained to the guys that our grandparents on my dad's side were from Russia. Volta was the only one with an Italian name. Why? Aunt Elena liked the name. Plus, Alessandro Volta was also an inventor in the field of electricity, so it worked.

"I can't even read that. What does that say? Miza: Noutatea Shop Vampire," Aaron read.

I took Aaron by the arm.

"Come on. Let's take a closer look," I said.

We moved down the sidewalk to the store and peered in. The entire was store was filled with vampire things and other gothic goodies that looked to be right up Zak's alley.

"Is it open?" I asked.

I wouldn't have minded shopping here for myself. Bring a little bit of authentic Transylvanian vampire stuff to my dungeon bedroom.

"Try the door," I said.

Aaron moved to the door and turned the knob. The door opened with a jingle.

"Let's go," Aaron said excitedly and turned off his camera.

We stepped into the warm store and shut the door behind us. A short lady with curly black hair and another lady with blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail appeared behind the counter.

"Buna ziua! Bine ai venit inch," the older lady with the black hair said.

I knew that 'buna' meant hello, so I just went off of that.

"Hello!" Aaron said cheerfully.

"Alo!" I said, remembering what I read on the plane and hoping I was correct.

"Bine ati venit la magazinul nostru. Ce se poate te putem ajuta cu ziua de azi?" said the taller blonde lady.

Oh great.

"Okay, Mikey. That one's all your's," Aaron said.  
I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry. We're American. I know very little Romanian," I said, pointing to my mouth.

I really hoped by saying that we wouldn't get treated differently. However...

"American!" the short lady exclaimed.

She hopped down from behind the counter and came to shake hands with both of us.

"Ah! American! I am so glad! Welcome, welcome. We are always happy to have American visitors. Simțiți-vă liber să se uite în jur. Have a look. If there is questions, you ask," she said.

We nodded with smiles and thanked her. She was adorable!

"I hope she didn't just curse us," Aaron whispered to me.

"Like we need any of those," I agreed.

We shuffled around the cute little vampire store in search of something for ourselves and Zak.

"Should we get Nick something, too? I mean, since he didn't get to come with us," I asked.

Nick was still asleep in his room. Aaron could not get him up for anything this morning. Zak would not shut up and go to bed last night. I finally had to get out of my warm bed and climb in his just to get him to stop his rambling. I know he was excited, but we had been up since 11:30 p.m. New York time. He needed sleep, and as soon as I was up against him, he was out. When I got up this morning, he was still asleep. Even as Aaron and I sat on my bed and giggled as we watched _Dracula_, he slept. Aaron and I were running on Romanian coffee, and man! That stuff will wake you up!  
We decided on getting Nick this...thing. I'm not sure what it was. Aaron bought a fake vampire killing kit. I didn't spot anything I absolutely couldn't live without, but I did find this really cool knife in a case. It had little vampire skulls on the handle and it was sitting in a case that was shaped like a coffin.

"Pumnalul lui Dracula," I read off the little card placed in front of it.

"Dracula dagger," the short woman spoke up.

"Michael, get that for Zak. He'll love it," Aaron said.

I sighed. I knew he would, so I did as was suggested. I spent a load on that thing. Hopefully it would be worth it. I had another plan for Zak's birthday, but I thought a physical present would be good too.  
Aaron and stopped and got lunch for us and the guys before heading back up to the hotel. Honestly, I didn't care for Romanian food. Flavorful, yes, but not what I was in the mood for. I would have killed for some Subway or something.  
Later, all of us sat out on the lawn outside of the hotel. We were bored and really did not feel like going and trying to mingle among the locals. The language barrier was not _that_ bad, but sometimes we found ourselves staring at each other wondering if one of us had understood or not. So now we sat around in boredom, just talking and sharing a bag of Romanian candy Nick got.  
I pulled out my phone, thinking now would be a good time for a Mikey Vlog. I did not know when or if I would have time later, seeing how we were juggling two events at once, and we had a long drive to the next lockdown. Besides, the guys were here with me so I could have them in the video.  
I was sitting in a weird position, leaning on Zak as his arm was wrapped around me. We had stayed near each other for most of the afternoon. Romania was glue. I felt as if it was connecting Zak and I and bringing us closer than we ever have been. I hoped this new, stronger connection lasted and found its way home to the States.

"Hey guys! This is Mikey and your watching Mikey's Vlogs," I said cheerfully and made a thumbs up.

That had become my intro over time, and I knew it was corny, but it was the best I could come up with.

"Right now I'm in gorgeous, romantic Romania," I began.

Zak leaned down and kissed the top of my head, making smile widely.

"With this gorgeous man," I said, pointing behind me with my thumb.

Zak leaned into frame and smiled as he hovered near my head. Aaron reached across the circle and turned the phone towards him.

"She means me," Aaron said and pointed to himself.

I laughed and took my phone back, only to have Zak remove it from my hand. He wriggled his eyebrows and smirked in the camera before he began talking.

"We are here at Hotel Castel Dracula in Bristita just four hours from our lockdown: the real castle of Dracula," Zak said in this accent that wasn't really anything, but he was trying to have a sort of Transylvanian accent.

"Mother of God, Zak!" I moaned and leaned back into him.

Zak laughed. He switched hands and reached up to stroke my cheek with the back of his tattooed index finger.

"Calm down, my love. The sun has not yet set," he said in his Count Dracula voice and nuzzled his nose into my neck.

I couldn't keep my eyes from rolling backwards. I had to look away to keep that off camera.

"Zak, you're going to kill her. Stop," Aaron said jokingly.

"Not yet, I'm not," Zak said jokingly as he wrapped an arm tightly around me.

I burst out laughing. This was so stupid, but it was Zak, and I had to love it.

"So, right now we're all kind of chilling out. Later we have a photo shoot with Mikey," Zak went on.

"Ooo! And Mikey bought all of these cool props and stuff," Aaron spoke up, "She has a theme planned!"

Zak looked down at me and cocked an eyebrow. I just winked. He handed me my phone back.

"This will be perfect weather for it too. Look over there, Mikey," Aaron said.

I looked to the east where Aaron was pointing. Over the mountains, a dark storm was rolling in. The wind was beginning to pick up as well.

"Perfect Dracula weather," Zak said.

I turned my camera to show the viewers, then back to myself.

"So, tomorrow is Zak's birthday. We're celebrating it by going to deep Transylvanian no where," I said jokingly.

"We're getting locked down at Castle Poenari," Zak said, pronouncing 'Poenari' wrong.

"Zak, it's poh-ee-nar," I said.

Of course, this caused the boys to erupt into a huge argument over what the correct way to pronounce the home of Dracula.

"Poh-ee-nar," I kept on saying, but they weren't listening.

"Yes, Poh-nar-ee Castle," Zak said to the guys, completely ignoring me.

"Zak, in Romanian, the I is almost always silent," I said.

"How do you know?" he asked, his tone on the verge of teasing.

"Because I looked it up!" I shouted.

Zak just laughed at me.

"You get on Aaron's case for saying Poh-veg-lia wrong," I went on.

"Poh-veil-ee-uh!" Zak corrected, getting ridiculously close to my face.

That, of course, just made me laugh. I shrugged and faced the camera.

"I like it the other way better," I said.

Zak playfully nudged me.

"Me too, Mikes," Aaron agreed.

"But anyways," I said, "There have been some wicked ass claims at this place! So tomorrow night, we're going to go hang out with Vlad the Impaler. I hope we survive."

I ended the vlog and saved the recording before putting my phone back in my pocket.

"I hope we get some good evidence," Zak said.

We all agreed with Zak. This season had epically sucked since Eureka Springs. We had gotten terrible evidence. It was nothing compared to the class A EVPs we got at the Crescent Hotel-not to mention the footage! Gah!  
We had called it quits after receiving the "I am Dr. Baker" EVP. That creeped us out to no end. He didn't even die there! But after wrapping up that lockdown, it seemed we could not get anything better or even close to that at the following lockdowns. Nick, Aaron, and I were blaming the locations. They had been kind of shitty. Zak, however, had been particularly hard on himself after the second lockdown after Eureka ended up with barely any evidence. He thought that maybe it was our tactics or how he approached the lockdown. I told him over and over again that we were just going through a rough patch. We all told him that. I was the only one he believed.

"We will," I said reassuringly.

Zak laid his head on top of mine and tightened his arm around me.

"Michael, let's hand out Zak's presents before picture time," Nick suggested.

"But his birthday's not until tomorrow," I argued.

"If it rains, Mikes, we're not going to have time for anything tomorrow," he said.

I sighed. He was right. Aaron and I ran down to the van and got the presents we had hidden in a camera case and ran back out to the rest of the Crew. When Zak opened my present, he was in awe.

"Michael, I love it! Where did you find this?" he asked.

I shrugged.

"This little gothic vampire shop Aaron and I ran across," I replied.

"They called it Dracula's Dagger," Aaron said.

"Yeah. Pumnalul lui Dracula," I said.

Zak looked up at me. He had this heated look in his eyes.

"Mikey, that Romanian of your's..."

"What?" I asked, "I'm reading the card."

I showed Zak the little white card that came with the knife.

"Oh," he said.

Either way, he was happy.

"I will have to dungeonize this as soon as I get home," he said excitedly, "Put it in a glass case or something. Thank-you for the present, sweetheart," Zak said.

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. I scooted over and hugged him.

"Happy Birthday," I said.

Xxx

These guys are stupid. No, really! I could have sworn I was hanging out with a bunch of teenaged boys. I was trying to have a serious dark, gothic, vampire themed photo shoot and as soon as Nick found one of the capes, he and Aaron ran around flapping the them and pretending to be bats. These were supposed to be promo shots for the Travel Channel. How the _hell_ was I going to turn these shots in? Like they were totally going to accept a photo of Aaron big-step flying with his mouth wide open or Nick tackling Aaron to the ground while Zak stood in the background with his arms crossed and this pissed off look on his face.

"Guys, stop!" I begged from my perch on a wooden fence that surrounded what I'm sure was a sheep farm.

"Oh, come on, Mikey!" Aaron said.

I growled and slammed my camera into my lap.

"I'll just wait until you guys are done," I said, getting really annoyed with them.

This was supposed to be the coolest photo shoot ever and they were goofing off. They reminded me of a group of first graders. This guys were a bunch of six year olds stuck in men's bodies, and I'm going to kill them before this night is over.  
Zak walked over to me and leaned up against the fence.

"At least you haven't had to live with them for as long as I have," Zak said.

I just groaned.

"What was in that candy? Crack?" I asked.

Zak sniffed out a laugh.

"There's no telling. Do you have a tripod on you?" Zak asked.

I looked up at him curiously.

"Yeah. It's in a bag in the van. Why?"

I hated using the tripod. Sometimes I needed it and there were some instances where I've used it, but for this season's photos, I just used myself. Getting that thing out and ready was just something I didn't have the patience for. Laziness? Um, yeah.

"I'm going to go get it. I have an idea," Zak replied.

Zak stalked off down the hill and to the hotel. He returned a little while later with the tripod and a shutter release remote that I also never used. I just brought it in case I ran into a situation where I needed it. He propped the tripod against the fence and handed me the remote. I took it while he dug in the box of props I had brought.

"What are you up to, Zak?" I asked.

"Absolutely no good," he replied mischievously as pulled out two different fake satin capes and a pair of theatrical vampire fangs.

He handed the prettier of the two capes to me. This one was a deep maroon and had a hood and sleeves instead of a high collar like the two black ones I bought. There was another that was a sort of indigo color, but Nick had that one. I really liked the maroon one. It was obviously made for a girl, but it was a little too big for me. I knew one of the boys would wear it, and I had planned on throwing Zak in it while Nick and Aaron wore the black ones. Or, if Zak didn't wear the maroon one, he could wear the indigo one, but now that idea was out the window.

"How do you put these on?" Zak asked as he opened the little coffin-shaped packaging.

I reached over to take the fangs out of his hands. I motioned with my finger for him to lean down.

"They just slide on. They're kind of like acrylic nails," I said.

I held one side of Zak's head and had him open his mouth. I slipped the fangs on. With the way his teeth were placed, I worried that the fangs may not show up right. They were just curved pieces of plastic. One in particular was a little difficult to slip on because one of his teeth was shaped differently, but I was able to get it on.

"I hope I can get these off later," Zak said as he felt his new fangs.

"If worse comes to worse, you can probably just break them off," I said.

Zak nodded.

"True," he agreed.

"So what was your big plan, Bagans?" I asked.

Zak smiled. He had me put on the maroon cape, which was really more of a cloak, I guess, and set up the camera. I did so and he threw on the black cape.

"Come here, Little Red Riding Hood," he said.

I smirked and walked over to him. He reached around my head and pulled the hood up so it was sitting in the middle of my head.

"Yes, master," I said, playing along.

What was Zak's plan? He assumed the role of Count Zakula, hypnotizing a helpless woman and biting her, making her his vampire queen. It took a bit of acting. I had to really keep a straight face and try not to die laughing from Zak's terrible accent. But to be honest, I loved every minute of it. It was better than trying to get Nick and Aaron to be still. Speaking of those two, they were down at the bottom of the hill behind the hotel throwing globs of dirt at each other.  
None of the best male horror actors past and present, could be as dark, mysterious, and just downright sexy as Zak was as a vampire. He knew just how to hold his face, position his hands, and look at me with this dark desire that made it hard for me to swallow. He knew I was on fire, and that only made this worse. The cloak I was wearing was thin and loose, and it was in the upper 50's here, but I was sweating! He became a completely different person. He was trying to be Dracula, I know, but part of me had a feeling there was more there. He was always determined, sweet, and even goofy at times, but this person holding me tightly to his side and controlling the camera was something knew. This was going to cause dreams that I knew would have me making noises in my sleep, and he knew it. He knew full well what he was doing to me and he was eating it up!

"Look into my eyes," Zak ordered in his vampire accent.

I looked up at him and heard the camera go off for the millionth time.

"Deeper," he demanded, this time fully replicating Bela Lugosi's hot as hell accent and tone.

I am turned the _fuck_ on by this shit! I hope to hell he knows I'm not just playing along, because if this progresses, I'm going to achieve super human strength and throw his gorgeous butt on the ground. His perfect skin was going to look like a bear attacked it.  
Zak grasped my neck, making me gasp and he quickly made the camera go off again. The menacing yet lusty look on his face was perfect for that shot. He already had me leaned backwards and my neck was fully exposed. He leaned in and my hand automatically went to his chest. God, that chest!  
I had no strength to push him back. These feelings were extremely raw and making me dizzy. There was no acting anymore. I knew this would all be captured on camera and make for fantastic pictures, but Zak being this glorious vampire and teasing me was not at all fantastic. Okay, yes it was, but not in the context of the photo shoot.  
Zak leaned in and opened his mouth wide. I closed my eyes and grasped the arm I was holding with my nails in anticipation for what he was about to do. I felt hot breath on my neck and a strangled, animalistic growl ripped from my throat. I had no idea I was even capable of producing such a noise, and apparently, neither did Zak. He pulled away and looked at me in surprise.

"So," he began, this smug grin on his face, "That's what happens!"

I winced.

"That's not all that happens," I croaked out.

Zak just smirked...this sexy, gorgeous smirk. I was taking deep, uneven breaths as if I had been crying. Zak looked down and tenderly stroked his fingertips down the side of my neck. My cheeks flushed and free hand quickly flew to my mouth. I chomped down hard on the webby thenar space as I let out a pained moan. The biting didn't hurt. It was the urge to do other things that hurt.  
Zak removed his fingers and smiled approvingly. I straightened myself and Zak held me around the waist.

"You goddamn tease," I growled out.

"God, Michael," Zak said, almost in a scolding tone, "If you _ever_ make that noise again, we're going to have a fucking problem."

He then grinned. I felt suddenly assertive as I pressed my hands against his pecs and moved them upwards before winding them around his neck.

"Pun intended?" I asked.

Zak's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. I was never like this. Never flirty, never naughty, and yet here I was.

"Oh my God, sweetie, no! But...shit," he breathed out.

I just laughed. I was kidding, but still.

"I'm messing with you," I said.

Zak smiled and hugged me.

"You drive me crazy, Michael," he said.

I just laughed.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked, looking up at him.

Zak smiled down at me and cupped my face.

"Good. It's always good, Mikey," he said.

Zak kissed me deeply. It was twice as passionate as our heated moment on the plane. I kissed him greedily and he let out a little grunt.

"I love you so much, sweetie," he said and hugged me again.

I clutched him tightly and buried my face in his chest.

"Oh, God I love you, too," I said, almost whimpering on accident.

"Come on, babe. We have a dinner to go to with the guys," he finally said.

I was reluctant to leave the hill, but I had to. I would definitely be listening to _NecroFusion_ later to tide me over. Count Zakula was driving me insane!

Xxx

That night after dinner, I had definitely calmed down. It was a good thing, too, since I was stuck sharing a room with Zak.  
I refused to share a bed with him tonight for fear of what I might do. This was something Zak and I had never discussed. There was a lot of stuff we never spoke to each other about but we needed to, such as the little mark on my side. He still didn't know, and I know if one thing led to another he would unquestionably see it, but I was trying so hard to just avoid it.  
Aaron, Nick and I ran around the hotel to get pictures after dinner. Zak had been in our room taking a shower, so when I returned, he was standing in front of the mirror in black sweats and was vigorously rubbing his head in one of the bathroom towels. I felt the flames lick my body once again at the sight of his bare back and chest in the reflection of the mirror, but I didn't feel my heart race like it usually did. Slowly, I was getting used to seeing this fine piece of human without a shirt on.

"Hey, Mikey," came Zak's voice from under the towel.

"Hey," I said as I crossed my arms over my GAC hoodie and grabbed the hem to lift it.

I had managed to move across the room and was standing a little ways behind him. In pulling the hoodie over my head, I accidentally grabbed a hold of my t-shirt and lifted it revealing my stomach.

"Shit!" I hissed and turned away from Zak.

I tore the hoodie free from my head and threw it. I looked up to see the hoodie hanging from the pivoting lamps between the beds as I yanked my shirt down. Hopefully the muffled clank of the hoodie hitting the lampshade would make Zak look in that direction instead of at me.  
I sighed as the hoodie slid down to land on top of the phone book on the nightstand. I was proud of my distraction. I was going to turn around and see what Zak was doing, but when I felt a presence behind me. Zak's face nuzzled into the side of my head and for a split second, I thought that maybe he really had not seen my scar and was just being affectionate. However, when I felt a hand slip down to my lower abdomen and he turned me around, my fears had been realized.

"Shit," I groaned.

I didn't want to, but something made me look up at Zak. His expression made sadness wash over me. I saw hurt in his eyes and his frown made him look like he had lost everything that was ever important to him.

"Volta told me," Zak murmured.

My face fell. He what?

"Really?" I asked.

Zak nodded. I looked down and shrugged. I ran wracked my brain for something I could use to change the subject, but I couldn't think of anything, so I just played this off. If I acted like it did not bother me, maybe it would not bother him.

"He said he thought I should know," Zak said softly.

I winced at that. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, nodding.

"Yes, yes. You should. I should have told you but-"

"Michael, stop it," Zak said.

I opened my eyes to see his own eyes boring into mine.

"He cares about you, Michael. That's why he did it. But it was your choice whether or not you wanted to discuss it. I wasn't going to push it," he said.

I just nodded. There was no playing this off.

"It just sickens me that someone would do that to you," he continued.

"It was my own fault. I pissed off the bull with my smart-ass mouth," I popped off.

"Michael!" Zak scolded, "That gives him no excuse to harm you. You do not deserve that kind of treatment."

I swallowed. Zak was angry, but not with me. I wished I could say something to make him feel better about this, but there was nothing.

"Let me see it," Zak said quietly.

I reached down and lifted my t-shirt. He couldn't see the whole thing because it dipped down passed my waistline, but a good four inches of it was sticking out. Zak got down on one knee and held both of my hips as he looked at the purple slice across my skin. His expression held nothing but pain.

"My God. What happened?" he asked, sad blue eyes glancing up at me.

I sighed heavily.

"Where do I begin? Let's see...Andrew and I had been living together for a year, I think. I had no job and little money but I was working on it. See, this was before I moved to Fayetteville. Everything was just fine and peachy until Andrew starting getting in good with my mom. He was one of these kids who was just obsessed with church, so my mom just loved him. I wasn't one of those people who were in to guys like that, but he was so nice in the beginning. Anyways, we had started fighting a couple of weeks before. First it was verbal, and then it was physical. It's not like I didn't fight back, or at least try, but after a while I just started putting anxiety pills in his drinks. Kept him chilled out."

Zak laughed a little.

"Well fuck him! He gave me a black eye. He deserved laxatives but I didn't have any."

Zak snorted.

"But anyways. I was in the kitchen one night. It wasn't really dinner time but I was hungry so I was going to make a sandwich. It was Wednesday night. Church night, ya know?"

Zak nodded, still looking up at me with these big, thoughtful eyes.

"Andrew had been at work and I thought he was going to go ahead and go on to church. But about 15 minutes before church started, he came running into the house yelling for me and slamming doors and stomping his feet. I thought maybe he had been mad about work or something but when he came into the kitchen he rushed me. I was like, what the fuck is your problem? Andrew goes, 'Go get in the car. We're going to church.' I was like, 'What?' I never went to church with him. He didn't like to be seen with me in public anyways, but whatever. I wasn't going anywhere! I was going to sit down and watch _Family Guy_ and eat. Andrew was like 'Get in the car. We're going to get you saved.' Well, that did it for me. I slammed my little butter knife I had into the sink and I looked at him and I was like 'The only one who needs saving is you.' He goes 'Excuse me?' I told him 'With the shit you've done to me, I'm sure you have a one way ticket straight to hell! You go park your uptight ass in that car and go talk to the preacher. I'm not going anywhere.' Well, mistake number one was cussing in front of him. He was one of those guys that didn't like it, and I respected that. I had the mouth of a sailor but for him I kept my language under control. Later on, though, I began not to care, you know? That was me, and I wasn't going to change it. Fuck him! Now, I wasn't going to cuss in front of his family or anything, but in front of him, I didn't care. It's all words to me. But he flipped shit. He goes 'I'm already late and I have a sermon to do. Now get in that car!' I turn around and I yell 'Fuck you! Get the fuck out of here!' and all that jazz. I was really hoping he would dump my ass and kick me out right there. I was just going to crash at my friend's place and then head on up to Fayetteville. I was done! If he had never abused me before hand, I would have discussed getting saved with him, but I was not going with him yelling at me and hitting me and throwing shit at me. I had had enough. Well, so had he. Beside the sink was a knife block. Andrew reaches up and grabs this big bread knife and does it so fast I barely have time to react. The doctor said the only thing that saved me was my jumping back. But he slashed right through my clothing and then tore off out of that house. I was bleeding everywhere! I called my friend and called 911. The police and an ambulance were out there in no time. They took me to the emergency room. I had to have emergency surgery and everything. It was terrible. You know how much I hate hospitals."

Zak nodded.

"He didn't cut anything vital. My intestines were saved by some muscle. The only organ he damaged was...you know," I said and pointed the the center of my lower abdomen.

I couldn't make myself say womb or uterus. But Zak understood and nodded. The rest of the story was difficult for me to explain, but I pushed on. I had no idea why, since it never bothered me before, but it was.

"They told me that it was fixable, but if I ever...got pregnant...I would most definitely miscarry every time," I said.

Zak's face and shoulders fell. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, and I couldn't look at him because I was already on the brink myself.

"They...fixed it, but they tied my tubes. I never ever wanted kids, so it didn't bother me," I said.

"What if you did, though?" Zak asked, his voice cracking as he spoke.

I looked down at Zak. I reached down and cupped his face in a shaky hand.

"He stole that from you," he went on.

I closed my eyes.

"Zak, stop it," I begged.

"What if you had changed your mind? I mean, sometimes it doesn't happen like that. I personally don't want any. Probably never will, but if you..." Zak trailed off.

I looked down at him and crossed my arms. I caught a tear slip down his cheek. He reached up and lightly pressed his lips to my scar. I felt moisture from a hot tear on my stomach.

"Zak," I breathed out, trying so hard not to cry.

Zak pulled my shirt back down and hugged me tightly. If I had ever changed my mind and my future had been the same, I would have not minded having a child with Zak. I didn't have that option, though, but that was okay.  
Zak sniffed near my ear.

"Zak, don't be sad. We're supposed to be having a fun time. Tomorrow's your birthday, big boy."

Zak looked down at me and smiled. I reached down and laced my fingers with his.

"How do you know what to say to cheer me up?" he asked.

I just grinned.

"I'm just that good. Now come on. It's bedtime. You have big day tomorrow," I said.

"Ah! That's right! I do," he said, as if he had really forgotten.

I laughed and swatted his chest before nudging him towards his bed. I still needed to have my shower.

"Good night, Zak," I said as he crawled into his bed.

Zak sighed contently. He was obviously exhausted, but he kept he eyes open a little bit longer.

"Good night, scumpa mea," he said.

I leaned against the door frame of the bathroom and smiled at him.

"Some Romanian you learned today?" I asked.

He nodded sleepily.

"If I'm using it right and saying it right, it means 'my darling'," he replied.

I smiled as I thought over the word, then laughed.

"I don't think you are. It sounds more like an insult. Scumpa," I laughed.

Zak shrugged and smiled.

"I tried," he said.

I shook my head.

"Get some sleep, Zak," I said.

Zak rolled over and tucked his arm under a pillow.

"Good night, sweetie," he mumbled into the pillow.

Before I could get the shower started and get my pjs out, he was fast asleep.


	29. The Evil in Castle Poenari

You know that scene in _Mulan_ where Mulan's father is practicing with his sword and Mulan is spying on him? That's exactly what Zak is doing right now with his new knife. We were sitting outside in the little parking area below Castle Poenari waiting for the perimeter of the structure to be blocked off. I was sitting with Aaron in the back of the van as Zak danced around with his knife. Why did he bring it? I have no clue. I think because it was called Dracula's Dagger, he thought it may be useful as a trigger object. Nick had pointed out that it said Made In Taiwan right on the box, but Zak wasn't listening.

"Aaron's Vlog. Right now we're hanging out and waiting to be locked down in Dracula's Castle. The real one, not Bram Castle. Zak is pretending to be a ninja," Aaron said.

He turned his camera to Zak, then over to me.

"Mikey, how do you feel about this? How do you feel about your man being a ninja?" Aaron asked.

I shook my head and smiled. Aaron turned the camera back on Zak.

"He's holding that more like a lightsaber, don't you think?" I asked.

Zak was moving around Nick like he was in the Matrix or something.

"Ah yeah. I can see that," Aaron said.

He turned the camera back towards me.

"You see, Aaron? Zak's a jedi. He's using the force," I said.

Aaron laughed.

"I can totally see that!" he laughed.

While Aaron and I wrapped up his vlog and giggled about stupid stuff, the head security guy came up to Zak and Nick and told them everything was blocked off. It was time for lockdown.

"Showtime, Aaron. Let's go," Nick said.

Aaron quickly fastened up his SWAT vest and grabbed a camera. I was being left alone with Billy and Jay tonight. Zak didn't want me going on this lockdown, which was perfectly fine with me. I had been on the previous two and had been extremely bored with both. However, it was not like I expected to find this lockdown uninteresting. I knew running around up in the castle ruins was dangerous and more than anything, I would be in the way. But Zak insisted that I stay put. Not only was it physically dangerous, but spiritually as well. He did not want to put me through a repeat of Lanark Nursing Home. Neither did I.  
Zak came over to where I was seated with my feet dangling out of the back of the van. He put his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to kiss me.

"I'll see you in the morning, babe. Love you," he said.

"I love you, too. You be careful up there," I said.

"I will," he promised.

"Alright. Have fun with Vlad," I said jokingly.

Zak smiled and rolled his eyes. He kissed me one last time before turning around and rejoining the guys. I watched as they climbed the walkway to the castle. I really hoped they did not run into anything they could not handle. These were ancient spirits they were messing with.

"Michael," Billy's voice came from behind me.

I broke my focus from the guys and turned to Billy.

"They'll be alright," he said as if he had read my mind, "Now come over here and watch the monitors with me."

I smiled and crawled into the van. I seated myself against the opposite wall and prepared myself for boredom. I hope they would forgive me if I fell asleep.

Xxx

3:00 A.M.

My eyes were getting droopy and sleep sounded like such a good idea right now. I was slumped against the wall, curled up with a blanket and listening to the nighttime sounds outside the van. I couldn't even focus on the monitors anymore.

"Wake up, Michael," Billy said, shaking my shoulder.

I grunted and sat up. I was so tired and incredibly bored. You could only be amused by Aaron getting spooked and running by a camera for so long. We had not caught anything or heard any unexplainable sounds. I mean, we did, but they all could have been animal noises or the wind. Outdoor lockdowns were hard to do. When you're in a place like Castle Poenari, it was difficult to trust your ears.

"Boy, look at Aaron go," Jay said.

I looked up to see Aaron run by two different cameras.

"Is he chasing something?" Billy asked.

Jay just shrugged.

"Well, I haven't seen Zak run by the cameras for a while," Billy went on.

"Yeah, Nick disappeared, too," Jay said.

I raised an eyebrow. That was really strange.

"Really?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. Oh, there goes Aaron again," Jay said.

I wondered why Nick and Zak had disappeared. They must have found something and were stuck in an area where there had been no Xs down.  
I could here faint voices coming from the castle, but they were fading away as sleep tried to claim me once again.

"Billy, I'm hearing things," Jay said.

I opened my eyes to see Billy throw his headphones on.

"What is it? I don't hear anything," Billy said.

Jay took his headphones off and looked out the opened back doors of the van.

"Not on the monitors. Something is going on outside," Jay said.

Billy gave Jay a confused look. A loud scraping sound caught my ears, snapping me out of my sleepy haze.

"I hear it, too," I said.

Billy got up and poked his head out of the van. He listened for a moment, then turned back to us.

"Sounds like footsteps," he said quietly.

I sat up and crawled over to him. There was a blur of light flying down the walkway that led up to the castle.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing in the direction of the light.

"Looks like somebody's flashlight," Billy said.

We watched as the light ran up to us. It was accompanied by heavy breathing and the distinctive sound of shoes crunching through gravel.

"Is that Nick?" Jay asked.

Worry washed over me. What in the world would make Nick run from a lockdown?

"Guys! Guys!" Nick gasped out.

He ran up to Billy and I and nearly collapsed.

"Bro, what's wrong?" Billy asked.

Nick took a moment to catch his breath before he looked up at us. I could see sweat dripping down his brow.

"Is Zak down here?" he asked.

We all shook our heads. Nick furiously punched the door and spun away from us.

"Dammit!" he shouted.

He turned back to us.

"We can't find him anywhere," Nick said, "Have you seen him on the monitors?"

My stomach felt like it bottomed out.

"No, man. Look, we'll help. Michael, let's go," Billy ordered.

Clicking into action, I spun around and grabbed flashlights for us and tossed one to Billy.

"Stay here and keep watch, Jay. Michael, hand me a walkie," Billy said.

I snatched up a walkie-talkie and handed it to him.

"Jay, call me up if you see him. He may even show up down here," he continued.

Jay nodded.

"Can do," he said.

We barreled out of the van and I ran with them up the walkway. So many scenarios were running through my head. It was so easy to get hurt up here. There were crumbling walls and cliff edges one could easily slip down. Zak was notorious for doing stupid and dangerous shit to get evidence, too-stupid shit that could get him killed. Oh shit! He had that stupid knife with him, too! What is he had tripped and impaled himself on it? How ironic would that be?

"Have you guys called for him?" Billy asked as we ran up the last stretch of walkway.

"Until we were hoarse. We haven't heard a peep out of him," Nick replied.

We ran into the entryway and were greeted by a breathless Aaron.

"No sign of him," Aaron confirmed.

"Shit!" Nick hissed.

"Alright, let's do this. I'll search around the outside of the castle. You three go in and split off. Look high and low. Zak can climb like a monkey," Billy said.

We all nodded and broke off. I had a bad feeling about going in here. This place was like a crumbling maze. I hated mazes.  
I walked in and slipped down the narrow stone paths, twisting and turning every chance I could in order to maybe find a place Nick and Aaron had missed. I called for Zak over and over again. I could hear the guys off in the distance also calling his name. There was only silence.

"Where the hell did you go?" I asked out loud.

I looked up stairs and on ledges, but he was no where to be found. So, I turned another corner and looked harder and called out louder.

"If I ever find you, I'm dragging your ass straight to the van," I growled through my teeth.

This was really starting to scare me. What if he had climbed up on a high ledge, lost his balance, and had fallen down the cliff. Wouldn't the guys have heard his scream, though?  
I turned yet another corner and was suddenly rushed by a figure. I screamed as it grabbed me, but I was relieved to find it was only Nick.

"Oh God! Nick, you scared me!" I exclaimed.

Nick looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry. No luck, I guess?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Where do you think he could have gone?" I asked worriedly.

Nick shrugged.

"Hell if I know! One minute he was right beside me using the thermal camera, then the next minute he was gone. I didn't even hear him walk away," he said.

I bit my bottom lip.

"Nick, I'm really starting to get worried," I said.

"Me too. I'm about this close," Nick held his index finger and thumb close together for emphasis, "to calling a search and rescue team."

"Do you think we should?" I asked.

What a lockdown this was. Watch him be somewhere and he's safe and he found some incredible evidence! That would be like him!

"Not yet. Let's look a little bit more. Yell for me if you find him, okay?"

I nodded. Nick patted my shoulder and took off back the way he came. I followed him and turned the opposite direction. I could hear Aaron and Billy off in the distance yelling for Zak. This was getting to be ridiculous. We were wasting precious lockdown time!  
I walked up a flight of stone steps and came to an intersection. When I looked down one way, a dark figure stood at the end of it. I jumped. At first, I thought it was a shadow figure, but this had way more mass.

"Nick?" I asked.

I shined my flashlight down the hall and my heart jumped into my throat. It was Zak.

"Zak? What are you doing? We've been looking everywhere for you! Didn't you hear us calling for you?" I asked.

Zak didn't move or speak. He just stood there staring at me.

"Zak!" I shouted.

I heard a demonic growl erupt from his throat.

"Oh shit," I whispered, "NICK!"

I began to turn and run, but Zak ran after me. I had no time to escape. Just as I turned to run, he grabbed me and slammed me into the stone wall. I hit so hard it knocked the breath out of me.

"Zak, stop!" I shouted, "Snap out of it!"

There was no telling what kind of ancient spirit was possessing him. Could it have been the same evil that drove Vlad the Impaler to do what he did? I didn't even have to to dwell upon that too long.  
Zak large hands encircled my neck and squeezed. I squeaked and coughed.

"Zak, stop," I croaked out.

Zak bared his teeth and I saw this darkness in his eyes that I knew was not him.

"Nick!" I shouted again.

Zak squeezed tighter. He pushed me up even harder against the wall. I was beginning panic. Every time I took a breath, I choked. I was getting extremely lightheaded and I thought that I was sure I would have a heart attack if I wasn't strangled to death first.

"Zak!" I heard Nick yell.

I wheeled my eyes over to see Nick standing a few yards away. He looked just as terrified as I was. Zak looked over at Nick and made this weird gurgling growl.

"Zak, let it out of you. Get your hands off of her!" Nick commanded.

"Zak," I wheezed.

Zak looked at me sideways. His grip didn't loosen. My eyes watered up as his nails dug into my skin.

"Please. Stop," I begged.

Zak's face twitched. For a moment, I thought he was coming back, but when he growled again, I knew I was wrong.

"Zak! Don't let it control you!" I heard Aaron shout from far away.

My world was turning white. I knew soon if they didn't get him off of me, I was going to pass out. The pain around my neck alone was enough to make me feel faint.

"Nick, she can't hold out much longer," I heard Billy said.

"ZAK, LET HER GO NOW!" Nick roared.

Zak's head snapped over to Nick.

"Or what?" Zak asked, but the voice was not his.

"Or I will do something I would never even think of doing to you," Nick threatened.

Zak swiftly reached into the back of his pocket. I barely saw the shine of a knife before searing pain ripped through my left arm. I tried to scream, but I couldn't. Suddenly, there was a collision of bodies and I felt myself drop and my feet fell out from under me. I fell on my ass hard and struggled to breathe in precious air. I grasped my arm. Blood seeped out through my fingers.  
When I regained my vision and my breathing became regulated, I could see Nick, Billy and Aaron on top of Zak. Billy was straddling Zak's chest.

"Get off of me, cretin!" Zak growled, still possessed.

"Don't make me do this, Zak. Let him out of you!" Billy commanded.

Zak started this evil cackling that gave me the chills. Billy raised his arm.

"God, please bring Zak back to us," Nick prayed, "Rid him of this evil."

I watched as Billy backhanded Zak right across the face. Zak screamed and howled like a dog in pain.

"Zak, come back. Zak!" Aaron pleaded.

There was silence as Zak breathed heavily.

"Aaron," I heard him croak out.

"He's back," Billy confirmed.

Nick let them take care of Zak while he came to check on me. I had momentarily forgotten about my arm.

"Oh God, Mikey," Nick said.

"Is is bad? I can't look at it," I said.

"You're bleeding pretty bad, Mikes," he said.

I groaned. I felt dizzy again.

"Someone take that damn knife from him!" Nick called over his shoulder.

"Got it!" Aaron called.

"How is she, Nick?" Billy asked.

Nick pulled my hand away to examine the slice in my arm.

"It's really deep, Billy. She needs medical attention," Nick said.

My stomach lurched at that.

"Oh, God, Nick. Don't talk anymore. I'm gonna puke," I groaned.

"You're going to be okay, Mikey," he said.

"Nick, take one of the vans. There's a clinic just south of here. Just follow the road straight down," Billy said.

"Okay. Come on, Mikes," Nick said.

He helped me up and led me down the corridor. I couldn't stand to be near Zak any longer.

Xxx

"She needs stitches," Nick explained to the nurse.

"Okay," she said.

I didn't want to be in the clinic. Places like this made me nervous and near physically sick. When Nick said "stitches" I was ready to ask "Where's a bucket?"  
She nurse began to take me and lead me down a hall, but I was not going by myself. I spun out of her grasp and reached for Nick.

"Don't make me go alone!" I begged.

Nick took my hands.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mikey. I'll be right here. Is it okay if I go in with her?"

The nurse nodded. She took me into a cold, stark white room that was just like any examining room in a doctor's office in the States. She made me sit up on the bed thing and tended to my wound.

"What happened?" she asked.

I could barely hold myself up. Nick held my hand that belonged to the good arm and held my head to his chest.

"We were investigating Castle Poenari and we ran into some trouble," Nick explained.

The nurse nodded as she cleaned off all of the blood.

"Oh, Castle Poenari. Dracula, huh?" she asked with a smile.

I wanted to kick that smile right in!

"Yeah. Got caught on the wrong end of a knife," I said.

The nurse nodded. I was surprised she understood English, but I'm glad we were able to get someone that knew what we were saying.  
The nurse handed Nick a white cloth.

"Press and hold to the wound. I will return shortly," she said.

Nick did as he was told and pressed the cloth to my mauled skin.

"Does that hurt?" he asked.

"A little. Just keep pressure on it. I'll be alright," I said.

Nick nodded.

When the nurse returned, she had supplies that looked like she was getting ready to sew.

"Oh God," I groaned and looked away.

"Michael, it'll be okay. Just turn away. I'm right here," Nick said.

He held my hand tightly as the nurse applied a topical anesthetic. I didn't feel the needle pierce me, but I did feel the sickening tug of the stitches. I groaned and gritted my teeth. Soon, however, she was done and bandaging me up. Nick grabbed a chair and pulled it up to me while the nurse went after something sugary to get my blood sugar back up. She said I had not lost that much blood, but it was enough to, as I would put it, knock me on my ass for a while.

"We're going to have to get this checked out when we get back to Vegas. Make sure everything really is all patched up," Nick said.

I just nodded. I couldn't believe this happened. Zak, the man I loved and trusted with every fiber of my being, gave me a new scar that would be difficult to hide. I knew it wasn't his fault, and it was just the possession, but he still hurt me-something he promised he would never do.  
Wait a minute. Did Nick just say Vegas?

"We're going back?" I asked.

Nick nodded.

"We have a two week break. I'm going to go ahead and fly on home for a while. I assume you were going to stay with Zak for a bit," he said.

I nodded.

"Nick," I said.

"Yeah, Mikes?"

I took a shaky breath before continuing.

"Nick, he really scared me," I confessed.

Nick nodded.

"I know," he whispered.

"I mean _really_ scared me. You didn't see how he looked at me. It was like the same expression that caused this," I lifted my shirt up and showed Nick my scar.

"Jesus!"

I bit my lip as I put my shirt back down. I was trying really hard not to cry.

"And what gets me is that I just told him about this. I just told him last night that I had been stabbed. And now this," I said.

Nick stood up and hugged me, making me lose all control of my tears.

"I can't stay with him, Nick. I can't go near him. He scares the hell out of me," I cried into his shoulder.

"I know, Mikey, but you have to remember that he still loves you. No possession is going to change that. He'll recover and come back around," he said.

"I can't face him," I mumbled.

"Yes, you can. You guys will pull through this. I know it," he said.

How in the hell is the man so optimistic all the time?

The nurse returned with a cookie and a carton of orange juice. I thanked her and we left the clinic. Nick said we would drive back to Bristita and check out of the hotel and return to Bucharest to take the next flight to New York. I was glad we weren't taking the same plane as the others.  
Don't get me wrong, I was worried about Zak, but honestly, I don't know how I could ever set foot in the same room as him again.


	30. The Stubborn One

Aaron insisted I stay at his place for a few days. I told him I would only stay for a few days before flying home, but he said I was welcome to stay the full two weeks if I wanted. I really was not sure what I wanted. I was really worried about Zak and I wanted to stick around in case he needed me, but I did not feel ready to talk to him. Something was holding me back, and I had to trust it.  
Nick stayed around for a couple of days to keep an eye on Zak. They had a full blown exorcism performed via Facetime with a church official they were close with. Who knew that Facetime would be used for such things? Useful app. Apple had the right idea, that was for sure!  
Anyways, Aaron told me that they tried to talk with Zak about what happened, but he said he did not remember anything except for Billy smacking him in the face.

"We told him what he did," Aaron came in and told me one morning in his kitchen.

I winced.

"How did he react?" I asked.

I was dreading the answer. Aaron exhaled heavily and shook his head.

"He was just...he was shocked. He didn't believe us at first! It took both Nick, Billy and I to tell him, and when it sunk in...man! He hit the floor," Aaron said.

"He what?" I asked.

"He just collapsed, Mikey. I have never seen him do that. He just curled up in a ball and was inconsolable," he replied.

I crossed my arms over my chest and took a deep breath. I wanted to be there with him so badly! I wanted to tell him that I was okay and it was not his fault, but that was not completely true. I no longer trusted him. In fact, I kind of feared him, and that hurt.

"He's just been sick over this, Mikey. He's mad at the world. He's mad at himself. He's been going to church every day since we got back. Michael, you know what he believes in when it comes to women and children. He believes no man or spirit should ever lay a hand on the opposite sex or their children. He thinks he is a man of sin for this."

"But he's not, Aaron! It wasn't his fault!" I cried out, getting increasingly more upset.

"I know, Mikey. You know how stubborn he is. It will take some serious convincing to get it through his thick skull that it was whatever was possessing him and not his own soul. We know he would never hurt you knowingly. God knows he would never do such a thing. We just got to wait. Before you leave I'll take you over to his house and we can speak with him. This will give him so time to think and be by himself."

I sighed and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Aaron, I can't go," I whispered.

Aaron sighed and sat down in the chair next to me.

"Michael, you have to speak with him some time. He won't hurt you again. That knife is gone. I threw it over the castle wall," Aaron said.

So much for spending a good $200 or however much Romanian money was equivalent to in the U.S.

"I know he won't, Aaron. I'm just scared. I've been through this before. What if he does not want to talk to me? What if he's mad?"

Aaron shrugged. A sudden horrific thought popped into my head.

"My God, Aaron! What if he has me fired? Aaron, I don't want to leave the GAC!" I panicked.

Aaron gently grasped my shoulders.

"Mikey, we won't let him fire you. Just calm down. We'll go over there in a couple of days and talk to him, okay?"

I nodded.

"Michael, we can't let this get any worse. He loves you and cares about you so much. I would hate to see this tear you two apart," he said.

I nodded silently. Just the thought of not having someone so precious and so wonderful as Zak in my life brought tears to my eyes. We had been together for a little over five months now. If it ever did end, I did not want it to end like this. Sure, we would probably remain friends, but dammit! I loved him too much to let this happen!

"I love him, too," I said softly.

Aaron reached a thumb up and wiped away an escaping tear.

"Don't cry, Mikes. We're going to fix this. I don't want your relationship to end like mine did with my ex-wife. Zak needs you and you need him. I don't know about you, but I personally believe you two were destined to be together. I've felt that since the beginning. You guys are the definition of soul mates," he said.

I smiled at that.

"And who knows," Aaron went on, "This little event may bring you two even closer. Nothing better can come out of this than a relationship made of steel."

I laughed a little.

"I hope you're right, bro," I said.

Aaron smiled.

"Yeah, me too, Mikes," he said.

I leaned over and hugged him.

"What would I do without you?" I asked.

"Hey, it's what friends are for," Aaron said.

That made me feel a little better. Aaron always knew what to say.

Xxx

Aaron scrolled through his contacts on his phone until he came to a name he frequently clicked on. There was hesitation this time. He thought over what he was going to say and why he even thought about calling. Of course, he wanted to check in on Zak. Nick had left the night previous and Aaron just wanted to make sure Zak was faring alright by himself.  
The phone rang twice before Zak answered. Aaron assumed he had his phone right beside him. Had he been anticipating a call? Aaron wondered if maybe he was waiting on Michael to call him. He certainly hoped so.

"Hey," Zak said.

To Aaron, Zak didn't sound like himself, but he decided it was best not to call him out on it.

"Hey, bro. How you doin'?" Aaron asked.

There was a long moment of silence. Aaron wondered if perhaps Zak had hung up on him.

"Just...drained," Zak said slowly.

He certainly sounded dead tired to Aaron.

"I understand. Well, I just called to check on you. Make sure you're doing alright," Aaron said.

"Yeah," was all Zak said.

"Well, um, I was just about to take Mikey to her doctor's appointment. They're going to check out her arm and make sure everything is healing properly. Did you want to talk to her real quick?" Aaron asked.

He knew it was probably not the right time to ask this, but it had been three days since the lockdown. He was only trying to be helpful.

"No," Zak said, his voice becoming a little bit stronger.

"Are you sure? She really misses you, bro. I'm sure she would love to hear from you," Aaron pressed on.

"Goddammit! I said no!" Zak barked.

Aaron pulled his phone away from his ear.

"Ow," he said to himself.

"Well, I was just askin'. Sorry," Aaron said.

He felt a little hurt by Zak's outburst.

"Did you say you were going to her appointment?" Zak asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Can you come by here before you head out there?"

"Um, sure thing. We'll be by in a bit," Aaron said.

"'Kay," Zak replied and hung up without a goodbye.

Aaron looked at his phone and raised an eyebrow. Zak was acting weird, and Aaron was going to get down to the bottom of this issue.  
Later, he drove Michael down across town to the neighborhood where Zak lived. After frequenting the neighborhood during breaks, she immediately recognized the houses.

"Aaron," she said warily.

"We're not going in. He just asked if I could come by before your appointment. You stay in the car, okay?"

Michael nodded. Aaron doubted he could get her out of his SUV if he wanted to. He could spot her right hand gripping the door with her nails.  
Aaron pulled up against the curb and killed the engine.

"Lock the door when I get out. I'll leave the keys with you," Aaron said.

Michael nodded and took the keys from his hand. Aaron climbed out and shut the door behind him. He heard the quick slam of the door locks as he walked up Zak's driveway and over to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited with his hands stuffed in his front pockets. This was unusual for Aaron. Usually when Zak was expecting him or Billy, he would leave the garage open and he would go on in through the kitchen. Ringing the doorbell made Aaron feel like he was at a stranger's house.  
He jumped in surprise when Zak opened the door. When he saw the lead investigator, he was stunned. Zak looked like hell.

"Hey, come in. I have something for you," Zak said.

He sounded more collected now as Aaron tentatively stepped over the threshold and into the house. He said nothing as he followed Zak into the kitchen. Zak picked his wallet off of the bar and opened it. Aaron cocked his head to the side in confusion, wondering what Zak had in his wallet for him. Zak produced two cards and handed them to Aaron.

"There's my credit card and my insurance card. Don't let her pay for that appointment. Just give them my card," Zak said.

Aaron looked down at the cards in his hands and then back up to his friend.

"That's sweet of you, Zak. She'll appreciate this," Aaron said.

Zak sighed heavily and held onto one of the stools with one hand and put his free hand on his hip. Aaron noticed how much he was hurting. His expression held everything. When Zak looked back up at him with doleful eyes, Aaron wanted to give his friend a hug, but he kept his distance.

"Yeah," Zak said softly, "Go on. Don't make her late."

Aaron nodded. He thanked Zak and headed out the door. When he looked back over his shoulder before stepping out the door, he saw a broken mess of what used to be Zak Bagans sitting in the stool with his head in his hands. Aaron's heart went out to Zak. He was determined now to fix his two best friends' relationship before it was out the window for good.

Xxx

"It seems that knife went in pretty deep, Miss Wilde. Must have been a really nice, sharp blade," the doctor said as he examined my X-ray.

"It should have been for what I paid for it," I popped off.

Aaron laughed at me and the doctor just smiled.

"What was a young lady like you doing with a knife like that?" the doctor asked.

I just shrugged.

"Vampire hunting," I replied.

The doctor raised an eyebrow at me.

"We're from Ghost Adventures," Aaron explained.

The doctor's eyes got big.

"Oh! I thought I recognized you," the doctor said to Aaron.

Aaron grinned and nodded.

"That's me," he said.

The doctor chuckled as he placed the X-ray in a folder and pulled up a wheelie chair to sit in front of me.

"Well, it seems like everything is healing as it should. You will have some scaring on the bone and that arm will be weaker than the other one from now on. Is that your writing hand?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Good, good. I would suggest that once the wound heals, you start maybe lifting weights to strengthen that arm. It wouldn't hurt. Other than that, just take some Aleve or Ibuprofen for any pain and don't get it wet," the doctor said.

"I won't," I said.

"How long have you had the stitches?" he asked.

"Oh, um...hmm."

I looked to Aaron.

"It's been about four days now, I believe," Aaron said.

The doctor nodded.

"Okay. Well, I would suggest you make an appointment for next Monday so we can remove the stitches," he said.

I gritted my teeth and looked at Aaron.

"Hey, I said you're welcome to stay," Aaron said.

"Come with me when they take them out. I will pass out!" I said.

Aaron laughed.

"I will. Don't worry, Mikes," he said and patted my knee.

The doctor chuckled.

"You're not from around here?" he presumed.

"No, I live in Arkansas. I come here between filming, but since we had a long break, I planned on flying back for a little while. Guess I'm stuck," I said.

"You're always welcome at my place, Mikey," Aaron said.

I smiled at him.

"Thanks," I said.

"Well, are there any questions you might have?" the doctor asked.

"I have one. What is the best thing to use to fade the scar?" I asked.

I really didn't want to see this thing and be reminded how I got it.

"There are many over the counter and prescription ointments you can use. Neosporin may not do that job, but you can start with it," he said.

I sighed. I wasn't going to waist my money on tubes of dinky ass Neosporin.

"There's always laser surgery, too, if you're willing to shell out some extra cash," he said.

"No," I said, "No surgery. Not happening."

The doctor smiled.

"Maybe we can take you and to get a tattoo sleeve to cover it. Your birthday is coming up," Aaron reminded me.

I tapped my fingers on my knee.

"That's a thought," I said.

"That could work," the doctor said.

We finished up and thanked the doctor. I was surprised when Aaron whipped out Zak's insurance card. It gave me a little flash of happiness to know he still cared, even if we weren't talking. We set up an appointment for next week and Aaron took me down to the mall to shop. It was his treat. He said it was my big kid lollipop for being so good at the doctor's office. I couldn't be bothered to argue. I had tattoo ideas to think about.

Xxx

A couple of days later while I was watching TV in the living room after breakfast, Aaron came in and jingled his keys. I turned around to look at him.

"Are we going to the park?" I asked jokingly.

Aaron smiled and shook his head.

"No. I want you to go talk to Zak," he said.

I groaned and turned back around to face the television.

"Michael, come on. It's been a week. You two need to talk," Aaron said.

I sighed. He was right.

"Come on. Go get in the Explorer," he said.

I reached for the TV remote and shut it off. I slipped my shoes on and lumbered off out of the living room and out the door. We walked out to his vehicle and got in. I was nervous, but a little excited to see him again. I had really been missing him, and it was beginning to show. Aaron said I had become a lump on his couch, and this was true. I had come to sitting around watching reruns of _Roseanne_ and eating chocolate pudding cups by the boxes. Aaron did not mind it until I started watching episodes of GA on my laptop while watching _Roseanne_ at the same time. Not healthy at all, and I knew better than to wallow around, but he let me. ...Zak wouldn't have...then again, I would not need to be doing this if he was around.  
When we pulled up to Zak's, the garage door was open. It's as if he had been expecting us. I'm sure he had not been, but you never know. Aaron could have called him. Either way, I was ready to get out and go see him.  
Aaron pulled up alongside the curb and parked.

"I'm going to stay out here and wait. You go ahead and go on in. I think it'll be easier on him if it's just one of us," Aaron said.

That made me insanely nervous, but I just gulped and nodded.

"If you want to stay longer, just call me and I'll let you spend some time with him. I'll come pick you up if you don't feel like riding with him. I mean, I'm sure he'll offer, but if you're uncomfortable just text me or call. But if you feel uneasy in there and he's being weird or something, just call me and I'll come in and talk to him, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

"I'll wait right out here," Aaron said.

I nodded and opened the door. I then shut it behind me and nervously made my way into the garage. Everything about this felt really strange, but I kept my feet moving. I had to face him some time.  
I opened the kitchen door and knock was I pushed it in. The kitchen was empty.

"Hello?" I called out.

I heard Gracie bark and run through the living room and into the kitchen. She pounced me happily and pawed my jeans.

"Up here!" I heard Zak call from the second floor.

I petted Gracie and kissed her on top of the head before making my way through the house and up the stairs.

"Let's go find daddy, Gracie," I said.

Gracie tore off up the stairs and led me down the hall to where Zak's room was located. I could sense his presence as we approached and I could smell his cologne. I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves with his scent and walked up to his open bedroom door. Zak was in a blue hoodie and jeans with his back to me as he folded clothes on his bed. I stood in the doorway and softly knocked. This was so weird. That urge I usually had to run up and hug him was gone.  
Zak looked over his shoulder and spun clean around when he saw me.

"Michael!" he exclaimed.

"Hey," I said shyly.

Zak took a jagged breath and blinked at me, his hands stuck in mid-fold with a t-shirt.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

He turned back around to resume his folding.

"Aaron, uh, dropped me by. He's out waiting. I was just coming over to say hi. See how you're doing and all," I said.

Zak didn't reply. Come on, boy, talk to me! He looked over his shoulder at me and his eyes locked on with my bandaged arm. I caught a look of pain cross over his face and he quickly looked away.

"Um, can we talk?" I asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Zak stiffened.

"What's there to talk about?" he asked.

I put my hands on my hips and scoffed.

"What do you mean 'what's there to talk about?'" I asked.

Zak was silent.

"There's anything and everything to talk about, Zak. Can we please just sit down? I want to talk to you. I've missed you," I said.

Silence. That pissed me off, but I hid it.

"We can talk about anything you want, Zak. I just want to talk to you. I haven't seen you in a while," I said.

Zak threw a pair of jeans that he was attempting to fold back down in his laundry basket. He gripped the edge of the basket. I watched as his shoulders tensed under the fabric of his hoodie.

"We're talking now," he snapped.

I took a step forward into his room, but not an inch further. I didn't feel welcome in here, and I wasn't going to overstep my welcome anymore than it was.

"That's not the same, Zak! Why are you being so difficult?" I asked in the same tone he was using with me.

"I'm not being difficult!" he argued.

"Yes, you are! What's wrong with you?" I asked.

Zak shook his head. He wouldn't talk or look at me.

"Look. Aaron told me what was going on. I'm worried about you, Zak. You don't need to be alone like this," I said.

"I'm fine, Michael," he said sternly.

"No you're not! This isn't like you. What happened to the Zak I knew?" I asked.

He went silent again. I wanted to run up and take him by the arm. I wanted him to break down and apologize and told me he loved me. I wanted to kiss him and make everything as good as possible for him. I wanted to show him that there were no more problems between us, but he was being stubborn.

"Zak, please talk to me. I want to help you," I pleaded.

Nothing. I couldn't believe this.

"Zak, I can't imagine what's going on through your head. I know you feel guilty, but this was not your fault. Don't you even think about arguing with me. This was not your fault," I said.

"Don't try to guilt trip me, Michael," Zak said.

"I'm not! I'm trying to tell you that I forgive you. I understand what happened to you. I want to help you move on from this, sweetheart. We need to move on. I know I can easily forgive you and walk away from this with just a scar," I said.

Zak cringed.

"But you have to do this with me. I need you, Zak. I'm miserable without you."

Zak glanced at me over his shoulder.

"Michael, I don't even know how you can stand to be in the same room with me," he growled.

Oh no! What? Hell no!

"Oh, I'll tell you how I can stand in here and talk to you!" I snapped, my temper flaring like oxygen to a flame, "Because I fucking LOVE YOU, Zak! I love you with all my heart and I FORGIVE you. You know damn well I don't forgive anybody that easily. Do not shut down like this and leave me hanging. You need somebody and I'm here for you. I will admit, for awhile I was terrified of you. You can't imagine how hard it was for me to even look at a picture of you or even think about you. But none of that matters because it's my turn to console you and help you back on your feet. Please, let me help you."

Zak inhaled sharply and let out a shaky breath.

"Michael, stop. Stop talking. I can't bear to hear another word," he said.

"I can't bear to see you hurting!" I shouted.

I could see Zak's shoulders trembling and he hung his head.

"Get out," he said.

What did he just say?

"You're fucking kidding me," I said.

"Get out, Michael!" he shouted.

I almost left, but I turned back around to face his backside.

"Fine. I'll leave, but know this Zachary Bagans. No matter what happens. No matter if you still love me the same way you did at the end of this or not. Just know that I will always love you and will always be your friend. I forgive you for this. The only person I can't forgive is me for buying you that knife. That was my fault, and I'm sorry. But don't think you're an evil person, because you are not. You are a gentle, kind, loving man. You are the bravest person I've ever met, Zak," I said.

Zak said nothing, but he was sniffing as if he was crying.

"You're my hero, Zak. Always will be," I said.

I left it at that and walked back down the hall and through the house with tears in my eyes. I hoped whatever I said sunk in with him. Whether or not our relationship survived was up to him. I had done all I could do.

Xxx

Zak spun around to look and see that his girlfriend was really gone. He tore off through the house and to the garage door. When he opened it and peered out, he saw Aaron's SUV driving off.  
Zak shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. Gracie trotted up to him and climbed into his lap. Zak hugged her tightly and cried into her fur.

"I've screwed up, Grace," he said.

Gracie whimpered. Zak pulled away from her and looked at him with sad brown eyes. He combed her long fur with his fingers. It reminded him of running his fingers through Michael's hair.

"What am I going to do?" he asked his dog.

If only Gracie could answer him.


	31. The Afterman

"Your selfishness has robbed you of the man you could've been  
I won't change a thing about you, I love you dearly, my friend."

"_The Afterman_" by Coheed and Cambria

Over the passed years, I had become really good at hiding my feelings and pretending that I was not hurting. It was not really a talent of mine, but a skill I had become more aware of. As time went on, it was more and more easily accessible. I think this is a defense mechanism that all women are born with. Some now how to hide behind their own eyes better than others, but the know how is there. It just has to be triggered. It is comparable with a missile pointed at enemy territory, ready to fire. All you have to do is get yourself behind the controls, tell yourself that it is time for all systems to shut down, and press the button. This is probably why Aaron looked at me funny when I returned to the car with tears that would not fall.  
I asked him to take me back to his house. He did so. Once home, I kept my distance. I would make an occasional appearance in the kitchen or in the hall on the way to the bathroom, but I kept myself in the guest room I had been using, for the most part. I did not want him to worry, and I really did not feel like discussing what had been said at Zak's house, so I left my door open for a while. It was not fair to shut Aaron out. He had been a great help since we returned from Romania, so I was not going to ignore him. I left my door open not only so he could see me when he walked by and make sure I was okay, but to let him know I was at arm's reach. I just wasn't ready to talk just yet.  
I spent the majority of the day surfing the Internet. I downloaded music, read and answered e-mails, and played around on YouTube until late in the evening. By the time 9:00 rolling around, I found myself sitting cross-legged on the bed with my arms wound tightly around myself and my eyes glued to my desktop wallpaper. It was one of the pictures Zak and I took back in Canada at the park. I picked that picture to look at for a reason. I thought it captured the essence of who Zak truly was just by how he was smiling. Everyone sees how he is on TV, YouTube, and Twitter, but no one sees how truly loving and caring he is like the guys and I do. It's hard to break through the ice and see what is going on inside his head, but once you find it, that's all you see. That's all I saw, and that was how I was able to forgive him and tell him what I had to say today.  
I missed him so much, and I hoped what I did was the right thing to do. It was what my gut had told me, so I hoped I could trust my insides. I had learned a long time ago to never run after someone, because they would just push you away. You have to wait on them to return, but you have to let them know the door is open for them to do so. Otherwise, they will move on without you and there's nothing you can do about it. I had gotten my message across to him in person. He knew how I felt and that was all I could do. I had faith that he would come around. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I had a feeling he would show back up. My birthday was in a couple of days, and I hoped that by then he would resurface. Even just a single text message would make me happy.  
Part of me was hopeful, but my negative side was screaming that he was never coming back. The glue from Romania had dripped away and what we had was all a joke. I can't think like that, though. Zak is not everyone else, and I had to keep that in mind. All I could do was give him time and space. That's what he needed if he was not going to let me help him. But I wondered if our space apart should be extended. What if work was getting in the way of solving our issues? The show, the spirits, and the people always came first. Zak's mind worked on this determined level and he couldn't switch it up during filming time. It was the Crew's well-being, filming, then whatever else came after. You would think that our relationship would fit under the first category, but he knew I was physically okay. His mind would kick the rest back until filming was over, which was in a few months. God...I was going to have to wait that long, wasn't I?  
What if I took a break? I mean, not during filming. I had a job to do. But what if, just what if, I took a hiatus and skipped next season? The network would not mind if I told them it was for family issues. They were aware of my Aunt Patch's passing. They wouldn't care, right? The Crew could easily find a replacement until then. Hell, Aaron could even do it as far as that goes. His photography was better than mine.  
I sat for a minute and thought about this. I didn't sound like a bad idea. Go home, get my bearings, spend time with myself. Surely that would at least clear my mind.  
I quickly jumped out of the bed and walked down the hall to the living room. Aaron was on the couch watching one of his shows when I entered.

"Hey," he said when I emerged, "There's fruit salad in the fridge if you want some."

Oh, man! Fruit salad did sound good, but that's not what I came in here for.

"Thanks. Hey, Aaron? Can I talk to you about something?" I asked.

Aaron nodded and patted the spot beside him on the couch. I entered the living room and plopped down beside him.

"What's up, short stuff?" he asked.

I twiddled my thumbs together as I replayed my thoughts in my mind before speaking.

"I was just thinking," I began.

"Oh yeah? Is that what you've been up to all day?" he asked jokingly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes and no. Actually, I had an idea," I said.

Aaron shifted sideways to face me better. I guess I had perked his interest.

"Oh really? Got a diabolical scheme up your sleeve?" he asked.

I laughed.

"No. Um, actually I was going to tell you that I decided I'm not coming back for next season's filming," I said.

I watched as Aaron's face fell and a shadow of horror crossed over it.

"What? No, Mikey. You have to stay with us. We need you!" Aaron said.

I shrugged.

"You guys don't need me as much as you think."

"Yes, we do! We need you more than you think!" Aaron argued.

"Aaron, come on. No you don't. Listen, I think this is actually a good idea. We all need a break from each other and I think leaving for awhile will be good. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Michael, would you listen to yourself? Every member of the GAC is permanent. There's no replacing anybody. You can't leave. What will we do without a photographer?" Aaron asked.

"Find another," I replied simply.

"Mikey, think about this. You won't have a _job_! Where are you going to get any money?"

I stared at Aaron. I hadn't even thought about that.

"I'll go apply at Hobby Lobby or something," I replied.

"Michael, it's not that easy. Think about this before you make a serious decision. You're putting a lot on the line."

I sighed and looked away from Aaron and up at his macabre paintings on the walls.

"Give this some thought. If by the end of filming swings around and you still feel like taking a break, we'll discuss it with the Crew, okay?"

I nodded.

"Maybe I do need to think about this," I said.

"Yeah. Don't make any hasty decisions just yet. We need you, Mikey," he said.

I nodded again. Aaron reached over and hugged me. I thanked him for talking with me, then retrieved some fruit salad before I went on to bed. Aaron would be up until early morning, so I felt I should get some sleep. I had to get some stitches removed in the morning. Yikes!

Xxx

"Zak, stop! No! Please don't go!"

Aaron had dozed on his couch when he heard Michael's voice call out throughout the house. He grabbed his phone off of the end table and checked the time. It was almost 11:00 PM. He sighed in relief. He hadn't slept the night away.  
Aaron stood up and slipped his phone in his pocket before making his way down the hall. Michael's door was closed, but he knew she was sleeping. At least, that's what he was hoping. He really hoped she wasn't on the phone.

"Zak!" she shrieked, "Don't! Stop it! Please, don't hurt me!"

Aaron winced. She was having nightmares. He had no way to help her either.

"Zak, please!" she cried.

Aaron reached back into his pocket and called Nick. He knew it was as late where he was, but he hoped Nick would pick up.

"Aaron?" Nick's groggy voice spoke.

"Nick, bro. I didn't know who else to call," Aaron said quickly.

"Hang on," Nick said.

He knew Nick had been asleep and he felt bad about waking him, but he had to talk to him.

"Wuz goin' on?" Nick asked as he yawned.

"Mikey. Listen to this," Aaron said.

He pressed his phone against the door. Michael was crying in her sleep and begging Zak not to hurt her.

"Bro," Nick said.

"Did you hear that?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah. Is she sleeping?"

"Yeah, man. I took her over to talk to Zak today, but I don't know what was said. She wouldn't talk to me."

"Did they break up?" Nick asked fearfully.

"I don't know. But dude, earlier she told me she wanted to skip next season."

"What? No!" Nick exclaimed.

"I know! I told her to wait until the end of filming, but she seems to have her mind made up."

"No! We have got to get them fixed. Zak was too happy with her. Neither of them will be the same if something like this makes them call it quits," Nick said.

"It'll ruin them," Aaron said softly.

"Yes, it will. Look, do you need any help? I'll jump on a plane and come out there," Nick offered.

"No, bro. You stay home and spend time with your family. I'll call you if we really need you," Aaron said.

"Okay. Keep me posted," Nick said.

"Can do," Aaron said.

They said their goodbyes. As soon as Aaron hung up, his phone rang. It was Billy.

"Hello?" Aaron answered.

"Dude, I just got a text from Zak. He wanted me to come over, but I think we both need to talk to him," Billy said.

"I'll go get my keys. I gotta leave a note for Mikey and I'll be down there in a minute. Where are you?"

"Halfway there," Billy replied.

"Alright. I'll see you in a minute," Aaron said.

They said their goodbyes and Aaron flew into action. He had to know what was wrong with his friend.

Xxx

Gracie picked up her favorite ball from her pile in the kitchen and walked into the living room. She sat down in front of the couch where he master was laying with his back to her. She whined to grab his attention, but he didn't move. Gracie huffed. She would wait all night for him to roll over and play fetch with her.  
Zak heard her whine and it made him cry even harder than he had been all night. He never ignored her, but just did not have the energy to roll over and play. Looking at Gracie made him hurt even worse. He saw one half of his light, but not the other.  
Two pairs of headlights caught Zak's attention. He knew one was Billy, so he assumed the other was Aaron. He was not surprised. He half expected Billy to tell Aaron. He had left the garage open for them. He hoped that Aaron brought Michael with him, for he couldn't bring himself to apologize to her over the phone. So he waited until he heard the door open. Gracie didn't run over to them, making Zak wince. He was worrying the dog to death.  
He listened as he heard Billy, and then Aaron. He didn't hear Michael. He wasn't sure if Aaron had brought her or not. He turned his head to see only Aaron and Billy come in. No Michael.

"Bro, what's wrong?" Billy came over him and asked.

Billy had never seen Zak like this, and it worried him.

Zak shook his head.

"I screwed up, Bill," he mumbled and looked back down.

Aaron and Billy pulled up some chairs.

"Bro, roll over. Talk to us," Aaron said.

Zak rolled over. He looked terribly gaunt and pale to Billy and Aaron. They wondered if Zak had been eating right, or eating at all. Aaron had noticed the empty bottles of alcohol in the kitchen. Zak never drank heavily. He hoped that that was not all Zak had been doing. Zak wasn't drunk tonight, however.

"I messed up," Zak said.

"What happened, Zak?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. What did you say to her today?" Aaron asked.

"Nothing that I should have. I told her to get out," he said.

"What did she say to that?" Billy asked.

"She told me that she loved me-that she forgave me," Zak said, tears spilling down his cheeks.

"And did you say that back?" Aaron asked.

Zak shook his head as he sat up.

"Why?" Billy exclaimed.

"Because, I couldn't even look at her! I couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes-to know that I'm the one who caused that!" Zak cried.

"Bro, she's hurting. You need to go talk to her. I just got off the phone with Nick and had him listen to her. She can't even sleep. I just listened to her literally screaming in her sleep for you. She's upset, Zak. She's scared. She's lost. You need to fix this, Zak," Aaron said.

"How?" Zak asked, "I hurt her. I can't face her."

"Zak, if you don't do something soon we're going to lose her," Aaron said.

Zak's head snapped up in Aaron's direction.

"What?" he asked.

Aaron nodded.

"She's going to skip a season, but dude, I don't think she'll come back. I know I wouldn't if I knew someone didn't love me back," he said.

"But, I do love her!" Zak cried out.

Aaron winced in pain at the look on Zak's face. He felt terrible for his friend.

"Then you need to gain her trust again, bro," Billy said, "You two have got to overcome this."

Zak nodded.

"Gradually, though," Aaron added, "She's still a little tentative."

"Well, she has every right to be," Zak said, standing up and wrapping his arms around himself as he made his way to the window.

"Are you going to make amends?" Aaron asked.

"Of course, I will. I'm going to make sure she knows she's still loved. She won't lose me," Zak said confidently.

"You just gotta make sure you don't lose her, bro," Aaron said.

Zak sighed.

"I know."


	32. The Faithful

April 18th  
Texas.

"_I was a bad man to stop you, girl, from loving me._"  
-"Key Entity Extraction IV: Evagria the Faithful" by Coheed and Cambria.

Parents and their children stood outside in the grass in the mid-morning sun. Most of the children were boys looking up excitedly at a massive gray and black machine that was hissing and clanging its shiny brass bell. Little boys in blue and white pinstripe railroading caps and overalls pointed up at the machine yelling "Daddy, look! Daddy, look!" and tugging at their pants legs. I saw children of all ages standing out there watching a large steam locomotive slowly move up the line. Their ages ranged from a few months old to about ten years old. But not one child enjoyed this as much as the 23 year old standing and staring up at the engine in awe.  
Billy and Aaron were nearby and Nick was on the opposite side of the line shooting b-roll. We were in big 'o beautiful Texas at a train yard that was claimed to be haunted by employees and visitors. The property used to be the site of the town's courthouse. The yard where the retired roundhouse sat was where the gallows used to be located. There had also been a handful of work related deaths, including the tragedy of a man who fell into the turntable pit and another where a fire burnt down the original roundhouse where an engine that exploded and killed its driver and fireman sat resting. The entire location oozed with energy, but that energy was pure child happiness in the daytime. By night, it was as chilling as the echo of the steam engine's whistle.  
When the engine was switched onto a different track, the parents and their children moved on and walked back down the the museum to look at the exhibits inside. Nick and Aaron had an interview to go do and Billy went off with Jay to the vans, leaving me alone to watch the engine back up and returned to the roundhouse. Michael was sitting in the grass in the space between two sets of track with her camera. I took a deep breath and stepped over the track I was behind. Here goes nothing.

Xxx

I could hear footsteps approaching me from behind. I ignored it, though, and kept snapping away. This place was amazing. I had not been in a train yard with working steam engines since the engines in Eureka Springs had been retired. Volta and I had always gone to train museums with our Grandpa as kids, and we loved railroading. I did not give photography a second thought when I took it up as a hobby in high school, but now as I watched a conductor ride on a footplate on the tender of a smaller engine, I felt slight regret. I could have worked here. It would have been right up my alley.  
The footsteps were behind me now, but my eyes was in the viewfinder following the engine as it backed into a larger engine to mule it into the roundhouse. I was clicking away as I watched the smaller engine pulled forward slightly and then kicked back into reverse. The person that had approached me sat down beside me. I didn't look up as I watched the wheels loose traction and slip, causing struggled chuffs to come from the engine.

"They're pulling the throttle too fast."

I knew that voice! It was a voice I hadn't heard in a while.

I looked up to see Zak sitting beside me. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. When my brain confirmed that it really was Zak sitting beside me, I scooted away. I couldn't help it. I didn't move but a butt-width away, but still. I instantly regretted it when I saw the look of hurt on his face.

"Um, sorry. You scared me. I thought you were someone else," I said lamely.

Really, Michael? That was the best you could come up with?

"It's okay," he said softly.

I looked up at him as his focus went back to the engines. I couldn't detect any darkness on him anymore. He seemed to be back to normal. This upset me, not because he was okay, but because this is what I had been waiting for and I jumped away from him as if he were a leper. He was just trying to talk to me and now I was being the difficult one.  
I looked back up the engine to see the man inside struggling with the throttle lever.

"How did you know that's what he was doing?" I asked.

Zak shrugged.

"I'm a history buff. I was reading up on railroading stuff one day and I came across an article about driving a steam engine. Guess I retained it," he said.

I nodded.

"So um, how are you?" Zak asked.

I sat my camera down and brought my knees up to chin, resting my arms on my knees and laying my cheek on them, facing him.

"I'm okay," I said.

That was a flat out lie, and when I said it, it came out sadder than I had meant it to. Zak gave me a sympathetic look. He knew I was lying. We were both hurting.  
Zak's eyes moved to the red line on my arm. I had left it exposed for it could heal faster. I reached up to pull my hair back over my shoulder.

"God," Zak breathed out.

I froze. I had completely forgotten about the bruises his fingers had left on my neck. I remained still as he leaned over and reached for my neck. I knew he just wanted to look, but I instantly retracted from him in fear that he would choke me.  
When I looked back up, Zak's hand fell away and he looked crushed.

"Zak, I'm sorry. I'm just really gun shy right now."

Zak clasped his hands together.

"Michael, I...I can't tell you how sorry I am about what happened. I feel terrible about it," he said.

I hugged my legs.

"What harm I've done to you...yelling at you. I hate myself for it," he said.

I didn't say anything as I watched the little engine finally back the bigger engine into its stall.

"I was being selfish. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mikey," he said, whispering at the end.

I buried my face in my arms.

"Mikey. Mikey, look at me," he said, almost pleaded.

I did as I was told. He had tears in his eyes, making me tear up.

"Mikey, do you not realize how incredible you are? You may not think so, but you are to me. With all the hell you've been through, it amazes me that you were able to forgive me. I think that is just...remarkable. You are the best, Mikey. You deserve so much more than what I can offer, yet you stayed. I feel blessed, Michael," he said.

I lip was shaking and I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped from my spot and threw my arms around him. That first instant of touching him since that last time we spoke as a normal couple tore me to pieces. Everything was still there. Why had we been so stupid and distant?

"I love you, baby girl," he murmured.

With that, I broke down and bawled into his shoulder. Zak pulled me into his lap and held me tightly.

"Z-z-Zak, we need to fix this. I'm so l-lost without you. I thought keeping my distance from you w-w-was the r-right there t-t-to d-do," I stuttered out like Porky the Pig.

"Sweetie, we will. I can't stand not having you around. I'm miserable," he said.

He was crying too, making me cry even harder. I had not cried this hard since I fell off the monkey bars and broke my wrist in first grade. I didn't even cry this hard when Patch died.  
I looked up at Zak. He gently reached up and took my cheeks in his hands, wiping the moisture away with his thumbs. I reached up and touched his hands. I missed this man so much.

"We're going to get through this. Nothing will be the same, but we can make a new normal," I said.

Zak smiled. I reached up and caught a tear. His warm face nuzzled into my hand. He reached for the hand and folded my fingers down to kiss my knuckles.

"Michael, you should know that nothing is ever normal with me," he said jokingly.

I shook my head and smiled.

"My normal is with you," I said.

Zak smiled and another tear slid down his face. He leaned down to kiss me, but hesitated. This was the most important part of fixing things, and I patiently waited for him to break the barrier. If he could do this, we were unstoppable.  
Then, his soft lips were moving against mine. I held his jaw and moved into him. The steam engine behind us blew it's whistle. I was sure the driver could see us, but I didn't care.  
When we broke away, I got goosebumps.

"Did I do that?" Zak asked playfully.

I laughed.

"No, it was that whistle. I love that sound," I said.

Zak reached down and laced his fingers with mine.

"God, I missed this," I said.

"Let's never let this happen again," Zak said.

I looked up at him, a smile on my face.

"You got it, big boy," I said.

"Even if one of us is under a possession," he went on.

"Of course," I said.

Zak kissed me one more time before standing. He held his hand out and I took it, hauling my butt out of the grass.

"I'm going to need your help on this lockdown tonight. That is, if you're ready," he said.

I nodded. Zak smiled. I felt proud of myself and proud of Zak. I knew it was the right idea to keep faith in him.

Xxx

Zak spent the rest of the day with me. We ran around the entire train yard. He showed me the station and the old roundhouse that was said to be haunted. When I saw the old engine inside, I asked if he would go in with me. He held my hand as I climbed through the broken door first. The entire house was covered in debris and soot. I was horrified when I saw the jagged metal open to the boiler inside the engine's cab.

"Talk about a trigger object," Zak said, "This place is supposed to really active at night."

"Is this going be one of the places you guys will be investigating?" I asked.

Zak walked around me and slipped his arms around my waist.

"This is where you and I will be locked down. Billy will be monitoring the yard and Nick and Aaron will be covering the station."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, you picked the most cluttered spot where we could trip and fall running around in the dark?"

Zak laughed.

"Because it was the coolest and most dangerous spot here," he replied.

I rolled my eyes.

"Only you. Tossing me in here with the scary stuff," I said.

Zak gave me this cute, crooked smile.

"I know. But the spirits in here are said to be residual. It's the building itself that's dangerous. Come here. I'll show you."

I followed Zak around the engine and over to the far side of the roundhouse.

"Watch your step," he warned.

We came to a flight of metal stairs. Zak let me go first with him following close behind. The stairs were shaky and the climb reminded me of the stairs in the Maizy Theatre. Talk about scary stuff when one was afraid of heights.  
We climbed up into the second floor where there were burnt up spare wheels, coupling rods, countless odds and ends, and machinery like lathes for cutting metal and making replacement parts.

"This is kind of cool. They had a workshop on site," I said as I stepped over ash and glass.

"Yeah. Be really careful, Mikey. See over there?" Zak asked, pointing across the room where the floor was burnt up and had a hole in it.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Don't go over there. You'll fall right through," he said.

I shuffled nearby the hole and craned my head. Zak was right behind me to make sure I didn't get too close.

"This is weird. This is where the building caught fire?" I asked.

I turned to Zak to see him nod.

"A mill caught fire. The manager said there was an oil leak or something and the wiring was bad and it just caught fire. The machines against this wall fell through and crushed the people underneath. Of course, the fire spread over the bottom floor. It burned out that wall," Zak said, pointing to the missing chunk our of the south left corner of the building, "Killed and injured a lot of people. Come look at this."

I follow Zak as we stepped around the giant hole in the floor to the open area of the roundhouse. He held me around the shoulders so I wouldn't loose my balance as he pointed downwards. The roundhouse was on a rocky, muddy hillside.

"The rock was built up against the roundhouse so when the river below would flood, the building wouldn't slip away. There used to be a window here, and the employees that work here now said that during the fire, men would jump out this window and into the water to save themselves, but they never survived the fall."

The wind whipped around me. I put and arm around Zak's waist for additional balance.

"That's terrible. That's a long way down," I said.

Zak nodded.

"They say you can here the screams here and see apparitions of fallen workmen who didn't land in the river as planned," he said.

I winced. Dying by crashing on cold, sharp rocks instead of water sounded horrible. It made me shiver, but not from the wind. This area made me feel really weird.

"So, since you were able to catch the apparition of the fallen prop guy at Maizy, I want you to take some pictures and see if you can catch the fallen workmen," he said.

I snapped my head up to him. Was he joking?

"In the dark?" I squeaked.

"Yes. Mikey, I'll be right here with you," he said.

I looked back out at the field beyond the river.

"Zak, I don't like this area," I admitted.

Zak reached down and took my hand.

"Come on. Sit down with me," he said.

Very carefully, we sat down on the edge and hung out feet up against the rock.

"Michael, listen," Zak said, "I know I snapped at you the other day and I understand if this makes you mad, but I want to talk. I want to discuss that argument."

I looked up at him. I could have told him "no" or "tough shit" but I he had gotten the chance to hear what I said. I really didn't want to recount that moment in time, but I was curious to hear what he had to say.  
He looked nervous and a little shy about this, so I reached down and laced his fingers with mine. He looked down at our hands, a little surprised by my gesture.

"We can talk about it," I said.

Zak gave me a small smile. His eyes fell down to my arm. He reached over and gently touched the healing skin with his fingertips.

"Did you have to have stitches?" Zak asked.

I nodded.

"Damn! Michael, I'm so sorry for this. This right here is the partly why I snapped at you. I couldn't look at it. I couldn't face what I done. I was being selfish. I was being a coward," he said.

He removed his fingers and clasped his hand over the one that was holding his.

"I broke my promise to you and myself. I shut down on you and everyone else when I should have just let you help me. I'm sorry. And you know that's not me. I'm never aggressive like that. I guess I could blame it on a hangover but in reality, it was all just my being completely stupid and immature."

I nodded. I respected that he knew what he had done and knew that it was wrong. He apologized-something most men didn't have the scrotes to do.

"Just promise me something, Zak. Just one thing," I said.

"Anything," he replied.

I looked up at him making sure our eyes connected. When those light blue eyes focused on me, my heart grabbed it's little top hat and cane and pulled a Michigan J. Frog.

"Promise me that if something like this ever happens again, whether it's between us or the Crew or anything, you will let me help you," I said.

Zak leaned over and held the side of my face with his free hand and kissed my forehead.

"Of course, sweetie. I promise I will never shut you out like that again," he said.

I reached around the hug him. He held me close to him and stroked my hair lightly as we watched the field and listened to the soothing sounds of chuffing steam engines and the haunting echo of their cries.  
Later, we all sat around the waiting room of the station eating pizza. Aaron and Nick were happy that Zak and I were back to normal again.

"I'm just glad we have good 'o Zak back," Nick said happily, making Zak smile.

"I bet Michael is, too," Aaron said.

I nodded as I bit into my pizza slice. Zak threw an arm around me and kissed the side of my head.

"So, Mikey," Aaron began, "In five hours you'll be a big 24 year old. How does it feel to spend the beginning of your birthday in a haunted train yard?"

Zak choked and about coughed up his pizza. I turned and patted his back.

"Raise your arms high in the air," I said.

Zak raised his hands above his head and coughed one more time.

"Drink," I said.

Zak reached for his water and took a long drink. He ended his drink with a relieved "Ah!" and then looked at me.

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Zak exclaimed.

I nodded.

"Fuck! I completely forgot! I didn't even get you anything, baby," he said.

I reached up and played with the skull necklace he was wearing.

"All I need is you. That's all I wanted for my birthday," I said.

Zak beamed.

"Actually, that's not true. I thought you wanted to get a tattoo to cover up that scar?" Aaron asked.

My eyes widened. I had completely forgotten about that!

"Oh yeah!" I said excitedly.

Zak also got excited.

"I can't believe you're thinking about getting a tattoo! You don't have any, do you?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"No piercings either. Needles make my skin crawl," I said.

I involuntarily shivered.

"Then...let me get this straight. If needles creep you out, babe, then why do you want a tattoo?" Zak asked with his hand on my shoulder.

"Because, it will mean a lot to me. On the upper half I want something like good triumphing over evil and on the lower half..." I trailed off.

I knew what I wanted on the bottom half, I just didn't know how they would feel.

"What about the lower half?" Nick asked curiously.

I sighed.

"Something that represented you guys," I replied.

"All of you mean so much to me. This is the best job in the world, even with it's...it's disadvantages. I wanted something of you guys on my arm, not just in my heart."

All three of them dropped their food and attacked me in a group hug.

"Ack! Can't...breathe!" I said, being overdramatic on purpose.

They didn't let go.

"I'll help you design it, Mikes," Aaron offered.

"I wanna help too!" Nick chimed in.

"Guys, you all can," I said.

They slowly pulled away from me. Zak's fingers reached for my jaw, making me turn to him.

"And you mean so much to us. I think the tattoo is a great idea," he said with a smile.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "I don't know about you guys, but I personally feel really appreciative about this."

Aaron and Zak agreed. Aaron fist pumped me.

"You rock, Mikes. And I'm glad you two fixed things," Aaron said.

Zak wrapped his arms protectively around me.

"I'm glad, too," I said, laying my head on Zak's chest.

Xxx

"So right now, Mikey and I are going into the old roundhouse where not only is there the old engine that exploded and killed its driver and fireman is resting, but also where a machine fire destroyed the building and many workmen perished. We will be investigating the engine and both floors to see if we can make contact with the men who worked and died here. You ready, Mikes?"

I nodded. Zak looked back at his camera.

"Let's go," he said.

We walked inside the same area where we had entered earlier that day. I moved my flashlight over the massive steam engine.  
"Hey, Zak?" I asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked, turning to me.

"Is this a UP Challenger?" I asked.

"Honey, I don't know. You know way more about trains than I do. Why?" he asked.

"Because," I said.

I walked over to a footplate and climbed the six feet up to the front buffers.

"Michael, be careful," Zak said as he shined his flashlight on the steps as I climbed.

I crawled up onto the little landing and stood to my feet.

"I'll be alright. Zak, what if this is a Challenger?" I asked.

Zak looked confused.

"What's a Challenger?" he asked.

"The Union Pacific Challenger was a an engine they built for a short time in the late 1930s. They were huge and they're really rare now," I explained.

Zak's nose wrinkled and he looked at me like I was crazy.

"I'm sorry. I'm a foamer. I'm a little starstruck right now," I said.

Zak smiled and laughed.

"I am. Zak, this monster is a piece of history. They didn't build engines this size for very long. They made these, and then they made the 4-8-8-4 Big Boys. Holy shit! What if this is really a Big Boy?" I exclaimed.

Zak smirked.

"I thought I was your big boy?" he asked.

I laughed.

"That's not my point, Zak. Go look at the wheel configuration," I said excitedly.

Zak waved his flashlight in the direction of the wheels.

"Michael, I don't know what you want me to look for," he said.

I sighed and climb back down. With my flashlight, I ran alongside the engine and counted the wheels.

"Four. Six. Six. Four! Holy shit, Zak! This is a Challenger!" I squeaked.

Zak walked over to me, smiling and shaking his head.

"I've only seen these in books and on the Internet. This is so awesome. I never thought I would have a chance to see one!"

"Michael, I know you're excited, but how is this relevant to the investigation?" Zak asked.

How is this relevant? Could he not see?

"Zak, come up here," I said.

I led him up the footplates and into the engine cab. The floor was still in tact, but the walls and roof had been blown clean off.

"Look at this. The firebox is totaled," I said.

I shined my flashlight inside the belly of the engine.

"And the boiler is ruined. This thing is dead. Dead as can be," I said.

"Yeah, a guy we interviewed said it just malfunctioned and blew up in the crews' faces," Zak said.

I looked up and gave Zak this sad look.

"Can you imagine that, Zak? Fire, hot coals, oil, and water with shards of metal exploding through you? Vaporizing you? Can you imagine their fear? I'm sure the gauges were going berserk. Zak, they didn't even have time to jump. They were toast," I said.

Zak sadly nodded.

"And with this engine sitting here on not only a place of death from long ago, but a place of accidental death upon accidental death, that must cause a whole casserole of activity," I said.

"Yeah. This is a great trigger object but it's really...just a really sad deal," Zak said.

I nodded.

"Can you imagine this thing in action, though? Imagine hearing that boss of a whistle! Oh, it gives me chills!" I said.

Zak laughed.

"Okay, okay. Let's get down now. We have some EVP work to do," he said.

Later on, Zak and I made our way upstairs.

"Zak, be careful. The hole is right there," I said as Zak edged unknowingly close to the hole in the floor.

Zak jerked to a halt.

"What? Where?" he asked.

I reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket, pulling him back to safety.

"Right there," I said, pointing my flashlight to it.

"Oh, geez! Alright, let's go take some pictures. This place is giving me the creeps," Zak said.

He had every reason to say that. Earlier, we heard some strange sounds and got a few Class A EVPs. We could not confirm if they were intelligent, but they were the best evidence we had retrieved in a long time. Zak couldn't wait to show Nick and Aaron what they had captured.  
As we edged around the hole in the floor, we heard this squeak and then a metallic groan. Both of us jumped and spun around.

"What the fuck was that?" Zak asked.

"It sounded like brakes being thrown off to me," I said.

Zak was breathing heavily.

"Who's in here with us?" Zak asked.

There was nothing but the wind blowing in through the missing corner and the faint sound of river water below.

"Can you make that noise again for me?" Zak asked.

Again, nothing.

"I don't feel right being up here," he said, "Let's hurry."

I agreed. Zak and I edged over to the spot we had sat in and talked. I began to snap away while Zak kept a hold of me around my waist.

"Anything?" Zak asked.

I shook my head.

"I'll have to see when we go back to base," I said.

I resumed my shooting when suddenly there was a loud thud from across the top floor of the roundhouse.

"Did you just throw something?" I asked.

"No! That sounded like it was coming from near the stairs," he said.

I squinted throw the darkness to see, but I couldn't see anything.

"Mikey, you stay right here. I'm going to go check it out," he said.

I nodded. Zak let me go and took off for the other side of the room. I looked back out at the field when something caught my eye. I could have sworn I saw an ectoplasmic figure.

"Zak!" I called.

"What, babe?" he called.

"I see something out here," I said as I took a picture.

I heard Zak's footsteps come back across the wood floor to rejoin me. I knew better than to move my feet, but the figure was on the move. I took a step forward and the wood crumbled beneath me. I felt myself drop and I let out a scream. I heard Zak hit the floor and his hands grabbed mine before I fell. My body hit the rocky side.

"Michael, hold on. I've got you," he said.

My feet pawed at the rock in an attempt to get a footing.

"Zak, please, don't let me go," I begged.

"I won't, Michael. Come on. Climb back up," he said.

My feet scrambled at the rock and I finally found solid rocks.

"Okay, pull," I said.

Zak yanked my back up. This would have been an easy thing, except the rock beneath me broke away. I screamed when Zak's hands slipped. I reached for his hands, but the only thing I was able to grab was a ring, which slid right off of his finger. I was too in shock to scream as I fell faster and faster. I just hoped I landed in the water.

Xxx

"MICHAEL!" Zak screamed.

He watched as Michael fell straight into the dark water below.

"Zak! I saw her! I'm going in!" Zak heard Aaron yell.

He and Nick had been in the yard. Zak tore off down the stairs and out of the roundhouse. He ripped off his shirt and ran down the slope and dove into the icy river.

"Michael!" Zak screamed.

"Zak!" Aaron shouted from upstream, "She floating that way!"

Zak squinted and spotted Michael indeed floating away. Zak dove down and swam down to his girlfriend. He swam up to her and grabbed her body. She was cold and limp. Zak hoped to God she wasn't dead. Aaron swam over to them and helped them over to the bank. Nick came running down and helped his friends out of the river.

"Is she okay? I called 911," Nick asked frantically.

"I don't know. I don't even know if she's breathing!" Zak exclaimed.

He leaned down and listened to her. He could hear nothing. He quickly performed CPR.

"Zak, be careful. There's no telling what she broke," Nick said.

"Nick, shut up for a minute," Zak said as he pressed down on Michael's chest.

"Come on, babe. Breathe!"

Zak kept on giving Michael mouth to mouth. He could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance, but he wasn't about to give up.

"Zak, stop before you make something worse. Let the paramedics handle it," Aaron said.

Zak wasn't listening. He continued her ministrations, and when he thought that all hope was lost, Michael coughed up river water and gasped for air.

"Mikey! Look at me! Can you hear me?"

"Zak," she wheezed, "Zak, I'm in so much pain."

"It's going to be okay. The paramedics are on their way," Zak said.

Michael nodded and clutched his wrist. The paramedics arrived and took Michael out of Zak's hands.

"No!" Michael cried as she reached for Zak.

"Let me go with you, please!" Zak begged.

"Son, you've done all you can," said a paramedic.

"But she's scared of hospitals. Just please let me go with her," Zak pleaded.

"Fine. Get in. Stay out of the way," said another paramedic.

Zak scrambled into the back of the ambulance.

"We'll get to the van and meet up with you!" Nick called to Zak.

Zak didn't respond. He was too focused on Michael.

"Stay with us, Mikey," Zak whispered as he grasped her hand.

He didn't want her to cross over into the spirit world. Not without him.


	33. Subtraction

"_We accept, we unaccept, we made up, we're breaking up,  
You've thought you had enough, but maybe you didn't know,  
That this stage holds our show._"  
-"Subtraction" by Coheed and Cambria

"Which way?" Aaron asked, looking up and down the hall.

"I thought you knew!" Nick exclaimed.

"How the hell should I know?" Aaron asked, his tone mocking Nick's frustration.

Nick groaned and looked around. He spotted a board mounted on the wall at the far end of the hall.

"Look! There's a sign! Come on!" Nick said.

He and Aaron took off running towards the sign.

"Dammit! This is worse than running around in the dark!" Aaron puffed.

Nick laughed.

"Call Zak again!" he called over his shoulder.

"Are you kidding? He already told me the room number!" Aaron exclaimed.

Nick's shoes squeaked against the linoleum floor.

"Then, what's the room number, Aaron?" Nick asked, his voice skipping an octave.

"I forgot!" Aaron exclaimed.

Nick growled.

"Dammit, Aaron!"

They resumed their run to the end of the hall.

"How is this going to help? Call Zak, Aaron. My battery's dead," Nick said.

"Wait a minute!" Aaron said, "I remember the ward. It's this one."

Aaron pointed to the name so fast, Nick missed it.

"Which one?" Nick asked.

Aaron was already running down the hall to the elevator.

"It's on the third floor. We missed it. Come on, Nick!" Aaron shouted.

Nick let out a scream of aggravation and ran after Aaron.

Xxx

"We want to keep her over night just as a precaution. We gave her a sleeping pill so she would rest. She has no major injuries, so I believe, if she remains the same, she will be okay to leave in the morning."

"Thank-you, doctor," Zak said.

"Are you her family?" he asked.

Zak shook his head.

"She's my girlfriend," he said.

The doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Ah! Vacationing?"

"Work. We were filming for the Travel Channel," Zak replied.

"Oh! Well, that is interesting. I assume then that she has no close relatives near?"

Zak shook his head.

"She has her cousins. They live up in Dallas," he said.

"No parents?" the doctor asked.

Zak frowned and shook his head.

"Well, Mr. Bagans, we would contact the immediate family of the patient, but in this case we won't."

Zak nodded.

"Can I go in?" Zak asked.

The doctor nodded.

"Of course. If you need anything, her nurse is Sarah. She is stationed just down the hall."

Zak nodded.

"Thank-you."

Zak was going to turn and walk into Michael's room when he heard his name being called from down the hall.

"Zak!" Nick called.

"What the hell?" Zak asked to himself.

He stepped away from the door and approached his co-investigators.

"How's Michael? Is she okay?" Aaron asked.

"She's fine. Just a little banged up. If everything goes okay, she'll be okay to be released in the morning," Zak explained.

Nick and Aaron sighed in relief.

"Thank God," Nick said.

"Yeah. I'm going to get a hold of the twins later. They may want to talk to her when she wakes," Zak said.

Nick and Aaron nodded.

"Is she asleep now or can we talk to her?" Nick asked.

"No, she's asleep," Zak replied.

"Okay, man," Nick said.

"Are you going to stay here with her? She's going to freak out when she wakes up. She was scared shitless of the doctor's office. I can't imagine what waking up here will do," Aaron said.

"Oh, I know! I'm going to stay here tonight. I'll call you guys if anything changes," Zak said.

"Okay, man," Aaron said.

"We're going to head back to the hotel. Do you want us to bring you anything back?" Nick asked.

"A change of clothes. I'm sure Michael will want something to change into, too. My hotel key is in my backpack in the van. My phone is in there, too, if you wouldn't mind grabbing it," Zak requested.

Nick nodded.

"Sure thing. Hey, do you want me to get Michael's phone? She left it in the backseat in our van," Nick said.

Zak was surprised. Michael usually always had her phone on her, as far as he knew. He thought it had been destroyed with the camera when she fell.

"Yeah. She'll probably want it," Zak said.

"Okay, bro. We'll be back in a little while," Nick said.

"Thanks, man," Zak said.

Nick and Aaron made their way back where they came and Zak turned back to Michael's door. He really hoped she had not woken up while he was outside.

Xxx

My first thought when I opened my eyes was that this bed I was laying in was not mine. It was terribly uncomfortable. I felt like I was laying on a cracker. I also found it strange that I was laying on my back and not my side like I usually did. My second thought? This room smells like a gosh damn hospital. Wait. I was in an ambulance earlier. Fuck!  
I looked to my side to see those hideous vertical blinds that most hospitals and old apartment buildings have as their window treatments. Outside I could see the lights of town and the blue light from the parking lot lights. I turned my head to look up at a black television mounted above a small dresser. Beside me was several machines not in operation and on the other side of me was an IV rack, a salmon pink phone, and other machines. Down my bed was one of those tables you can pull up so you can eat in the bed. On one of my fingers was one of those clips and my arms were bruised and bandaged. But the part that stood out the most about the dimly lit room was the smell. That nasty, gag-inducing hospital smell.  
I tried to sit up, but my muscles cramped up, causing me to shout out in pain. Panic quickly settled in as I looked frantically around for a way to haul myself up. Out of the corner of my eye, a dark figure rushed over to me, making me scream.

"Michael, it's just me. It's okay," a soft voice said.

"Zak?" I asked.

Zak moved into the light coming in through the window, illuminating his face.

"Oh my God, Zak!" I cried, reaching up for him.

Zak leaned over and hugged me, being careful not to put too much pressure on me.

"Zak, I want out of here," I said.

"Can you move? Try to scoot that way," Zak said, pointing towards the window.

I gently pressed my hands into the crackly, sorry ass excuse for a mattress and moved over to the side. My muscles were stiff and my legs felt very much bruised and battered. However, I hoped that proving I could move would be enough to convince Zak to get me out of here.  
Zak kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to me. I slowly rolled over to my side and buried myself into his chest. Zak carefully wrapped his arms around me and held me gently.

"Am I going to be okay?" I asked.

"Yes, sweetheart. The doctor just wanted to keep you overnight just in case," he replied.

"In case of what?" I asked, scared.

Zak looked down at me and smiled as he moved my hair back out of my face.

"Nothing. Babe, you're going to be fine," Zak said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

Zak reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Nearly four in the morning," he replied.

I thought for minute. I wondered what time the doctor considered to be "morning."

"Close enough. Let's go," I said and pushed against his chest.

Zak laughed.

"Michael, there's nothing to be scared of," he said.

"Yes there is! Zak, this is a _hospital_! It's crawling with germs. And what about the sick people next door. Old people yelling for help when they don't need it and people dying everywhere. People bleeding everywhere and puking in the halls. What about-"

Zak's hand reached up and pressed against my mouth in order to shut me up.

"Michael, stop. We're in the maternity ward. There's nothing scary except women going into labor. There's hardly any patients here right now, anyways," he explained.

I sighed. The baby floor. That sounded a lot better. Zak's hand reached over and cupped my face, tilting my head up to look at him. I temporarily forgot about the hospital when I saw his expression. He had the most loving look on his face, making me melt.

"Tell me, Mikey. How in the hell did you manage to come out of that river with nothing but some scrapes and bruises? You are in first person ever to survive that fall," he said.

I smiled.

"I'm just that good," I said.

Zak smiled. His long fingers ran my hair back over my ear and his other hand reached up to cup my jaw.

"No, really. The camera took more of a tumble than you did," Zak said.

I suddenly remembered the camera flying out of my hands and into the dark rocks.

"Fuck! I had all my pictures on that! That was my favorite one, too!"

"Mikes, we can go buy you another one. I wanna know how you didn't splatter on the rocks," Zak said.

"I was falling in the direction of the river. I just cannonballed into it. I was fine, but because of how deep it was and how fast I fell, I shot to the bottom and got caught in a current and couldn't swim back up. I can't swim, remember?"

"You're lucky you didn't drown. Aaron and I swam after you. I got you out," he said.

My eyes widened.

"You saved me?"

Zak smiled and nodded. His thumbs moved to stroke my cheeks.

"Yes, baby," he said.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I love you," I murmured into his shoulder.

"I love you, too, sweetie," he said, clutching me tightly.

We pulled away and lips found each other before one of us could react to what the other was doing.

"Zak, I want to leave. I can't stand how it smells in this place. Hospital smells make me sick," I said.

Zak sat up and got up to walk back over to the chair I had assumed he had been sitting in. In the floor was a duffel of his and my own suitcase with my phone sitting on it. Zak unzipped his bag and tossed me a can of his Axe spray.

"The nurse may not like it, but go for it," he said.

I popped the cap off and sprayed the cologne all around me. Zak laughed when I inhaled some of it and coughed.

"It doesn't taste very good," I said jokingly.

"I would think not, babe," he said as I handed his can back to him.

"Is that better?" he asked.

I sniffed the room. The cologne mixed in with the smell like air freshener does when you spray it in a stinky bathroom.

"Kind of," I replied.

Zak climbed back into the bed. I moved back into him and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. Even with his cologne on him and dispersed around the room, he still smelled ten times better, and that comforted me.

"Why don't you go back to sleep, sweetie. I'll be right here when you wake up," he said.

"I'm not tired," I said.

Zak sighed. I knew where I was. There was no way I sleeping!

"Would you feel better if we watched TV?" he asked.

I nodded. Zak sat up and grabbed the remote off of the table and laid back down. He switched on the TV and flipped through the basic cable channels.

"No," I said when he stopped on a channel.

He scanned higher until the familiar face of John Astin appeared on the screen in black and white.

"Leave it!" I exclaimed, grabbing Zak's arm.

"What is this?" Zak asked.

I watched as the hand of Ted Cassidy popped out of a box and handed a black-haired Carolyn Jones a stack of letters.

"_Thank-you, Thing_."

"Is this _The Addams Family_?" Zak asked.

I nodded happily as I snuggled into him.

"This and _The Munsters_ are my favorite shows," I said.

Zak laughed a little and held me tighter.

We watched as Morticia and Gomez chatted with Uncle Fester and Lurch. Morticia got huffy and said something in French that had Gomez's eyes rolling back into his head.

"_Tish, that's French!_" Gomez exclaimed.

Gomez grabbed Morticia's arm and placed small kisses up her sleeve and up to her neck. Zak pressed his nose into my hair and pressed his lips against my covered ear. He pecked down to my cheek and then my lips.

"Darling, not now. Later," I said, quoting Morticia.

Zak smiled at me.

"We could totally be the next Morticia and Gomez, cara mia," he said.

I smiled widely at the nickname Gomez commonly called Morticia.

"I like the sound of that, bubele," I said, using Morticia's nickname for Gomez.

Zak smiled and kissed me deeply. Zak's dream romance may be a Dracula-Mina approach, but mine would have to be the Addams Family way.


	34. Another Thing to Add to My Resume

I checked out fine with the doctor the next morning. Zak and I met back with Nick and Aaron at the hotel and had lunch before we left for the Dallas airport. I was really sore and extremely weak, but after lunch, I felt a little better. Zak said we were going back to Vegas. I was to stay with him and recuperate, which was more than fine with me.  
We had three more locations left, but we called it off. Zak was going to contact the owners and managers of the locations to apologize and see if there was a way to reschedule for next year. Nick called up the network and told them that we were going to postpone filming. They were upset with us, but he made sure to tell them of the problems we kept running into. They let us off then. Nick and Aaron promised to come in and do some publicity to keep the fans happy. It was only fair, after all. Zak told them he was going on hiatus. He wanted nothing to do with the show and everything to do with spending time with me. I couldn't argue with that!

"I think I'm bad luck," I told him on the plane ride back to Vegas.

Zak looked at me worriedly.

"Why would you think that, Michael?" he asked.

"Because, every time I go on a lockdown, something bad happens," I said lightheartedly.

Zak laughed.

"I'm nothing but a problem," I went on.

Zak perched his chin on my shoulder.

"Michael, remember what I told you the first time we spoke on the phone?" he asked.

I thought back to that first conversation when Aaron called me. I couldn't remember anything except the nervousness.

"Um...no?"

Zak playfully scoffed.

"You don't remember? I told you that you were our problem," he said.

I laughed.

"Oh yeah! Ha! Maybe not everyone's, but definitely _your_ problem that you have to deal with," I said.

Zak smirked and wrapped his arms around me.

"Mhmm. I know," he said huskily, "You little shit!"

When we got back to Zak's after picking Gracie up from his mom's house, Zak started acting weird. I had plopped down in a stool at the bar while Zak slowly walked through the dining room and neared the hall. He had his head tilted, listening for something. It immediately worried me.

"Zak, what's wrong?" I asked.

Zak looked back at me, looking slightly confused. Gracie, happy to be home and probably ready for her dinner, paid no mind to Zak's strange behavior as she grabbed one of her toys and walked out of the kitchen.

"I noticed something weird the last time you stayed over. When you were gone, what I considered normal came back, but now it's gone again," he said, not making any sense to me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Gracie nudged my sore leg with her nose, making me wince.

"Gracie, stop," I said softly to her.

"The ghosts. You did know I had stuff in here, right?"

I nodded. He had mentioned it before, and he had also said he had had stuff follow him home on the show before.

"Yeah," I said.

"I can't feel them anymore. That darkness. That oppression. I only faintly felt it return when I went back home after Thanksgiving," he said.

I just watched him as he looked around his house. I didn't feel that darkness here, and I knew what kind he was talking about. I've felt it before, too, but never here. I felt like all I wanted to do was have fun and be carefree and happy when I was here. It was like my very own Chuck E. Cheese.

"I wonder," Zak said, glancing over at me with thoughtful eyes, "What if I'm such a dark and pessimistic person, the demons only stayed because I accepted their presence? When I brought Gracie home, they backed off."

I tilted my head to the side, trying to understand what he was saying.

"Gracie brought a ton of light to this place," he went on.

A lightbulb lit up in my mind.

"Do you think that it's because I'm here that they're gone?" I asked.

Zak looked over at me and nodded.

"That's exactly what I think," he said.

Zak walked up to me and hugged me. I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting the hug for, but I hugged him back anyways.

"I should have known that no amount of cleansing or exorcisms could remove the demons from me. I just had to find the light in my life," he said.

I could have hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. I could have told him how much light he brought into my own life and how much he meant to me, but my inner Patch kicked in and I fired off the first stupid thing that came to mind.

"Bottle me up and label me 'Ghost Repellant,'" I said.

Zak looked at me weird before laughing.

"Sorry," I apologized, laughing as well, "But seriously. Zak, look at me."

Zak looked at me with sad eyes. I could only imagine what kind of hell he had gone throw in this house over the years. What had gone through his mind? What kind of a toll had it taken on him? He had done nothing but try to help and protect not only the living, but also the dead in which had no control over what darkness plagued them. The only solution was to bring in a light. Zak had been a light for so many people, living in this physical plane or otherwise. He did not deserve to be scratched, threatened, pushed, and followed home to where he was supposed to be safe. It hurt me to even think about.

"Don't ever let these things torture you. You have Nick and Aaron and your family for guidance. You have Gracie and you have me now. Zak, I'm proud to be your light," I said.

Zak leaned down and kissed me deeply as he caressed my face with the back of his fingers before holding my cheeks in his massive palms.  
Our kiss ended with a wet smack, making me laugh.

"You should be. You make me proud, baby girl," he said.

My happiness is endless.

We spent two weeks in Vegas as I recuperated. Summer was fast approaching, and Zak knew I could not handle the heat. So, we packed up our things and Gracie and flew out to Dallas to pick up Ernie, who was still living with the twins. When we arrived at Nikki's, he squealed with happiness.

"I'm so glad to see that you're okay. How are you feeling?" Nikki asked.

"Like I got hit by a train. Where's my dog?

Zak sniffed out a laugh and wrapped his arm around my waist. Nikki called for Ernie, and the fat lump or a dog came lumbering in and panting. I squatted down near Zak's feet and hugged him.

"I missed you, buddy! Did you have fun with the twins?" I asked as I scratched his ear.

Ernie let out this groan like he always did when I scratched his long ears, making Zak laugh.

"We enjoyed having him, Michael. I can't believe you guys are already back. I thought you had a full schedule?" Nikki asked.

I grabbed Ernie by his old leather collar and led him into his crate. Zak came over and picked it up for me with a grunt.

"We had to postpone filming because Michael doesn't know how to stay out of trouble," Zak said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Oh ha ha! Like you're Mr. Perfect," I said teasingly.

"You guys are so damn cute!" Nikki gushed.

Zak's amber toned cheeks turned deep red. He was too adorable sometimes.

"When will filming start up again?" Nikki asked.

"Possibly next year. That means no new season for this year," Zak replied.

Nikki looked crushed.

"No! I wanted to see you guys in action! What about Eureka Springs?"

"That'll probably be the only one that airs," Zak said.

"Ah, really?" Nikki asked, disappointed.

"Yeah. Travel will probably be having us doing a special or something. This round of filming has like, highlighted how dangerous our job is," Zak said.  
"Yeah, 'cause you can be hunting ghosts one minute and fall out of two story roundhouse the next," I said jokingly.

Nikki giggled and Zak just shook his head. It really was too soon for that to be funny, but I was trying to keep the heaviness at bay.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't get seriously hurt, Michael. When Zak called me, I thought that we had surely lost you. Like, I was totally freaking out," Nikki said.

"He cried," Zak said.

"Shut up! I'm a cry-baby," Nikki said.

I reached up and hugged my freakishly tall cousin.

"You're just a drama queen. You'll be alright," I said.

Nikki rolled his eyes.

"So, where are you guys going to go? What are you guys going to do?" Nikki asked curiously.

"We're going to go out to The Hollow. Spend the summer out there. Let Ernie get to know Gracie," I said.

"Aw! You brought Gracie?"

Zak smiled and nodded.

"That's adorable. Well, you two need to come to Dallas some time. We need to hang out and party," Nikki said.

Zak and I laughed.

"We may. We surely may," I said.

I thanked Nikki again for keeping Ernie and told him to say hi to Volta for us. We hugged him and said our goodbyes before driving out to the airport and flying home.  
My summer spent with Zak was amazing. We did everything we could think of to do together. We played with the dogs, crashed trains in the backyard, bought one of those blue rubber pools and swam until we were burnt, and even did some heavy fun activity to keep Zak's mind off of the gym. He knew I was a lazy ass and didn't want to do anything when it was 98 degrees with no wind or clouds, but I did it for him, and he loved the shit out of that. Not lying when I say I lost a good five or six pounds.  
When July rolled around, the heat became too much. I wanted to go live in Alaska or Canada for awhile. When I read that it was only 72 degrees in Victoria, B.C., I almost had Zak talked into going and spending a week up there. However, we got a call from Nick to come spend some time with him. We packed up the dogs and hopped on a plane and spent a week traveling around New England. My favorite place we stopped at was Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The guys had been there and knew all about the place. I had never been, so I just let Zak take my hand and drag my ass all over the town. I loved the place, but I think my favorite memory from that trip was seeing the serene look on Zak's face as we stood on a cliff and looked over what was once a field of bloodshed and death. It sounds all gloomy and depressing and as far from romantic as one could get, but it was just that.  
Zak and I even got back around to dating. With the way we traveled, we had nearly no time to ourselves, but now we did. Zak didn't know the area of Fayetteville that well, so when we did go out into town, I got to pick. A lot of the time, we would go out and eat and catch a movie. Sometimes we would just grab takeout and huddle down in my living room and watch a rental movie or some cheesy horror I grabbed out of the $5 bin at Walmart. We went to two concerts, which were just a mess but they were fun. There were thousands of hot, sweaty, drunk bodies everywhere, and it was hard to avoid beer being sprayed. Zak had a cow when beer got sprayed on me from somewhere behind us. The little punk who had done it about had his ass handed to him. I should have been like "Zak, stop. Leave the little cocksucker alone" but I just let him scream at him. That feeling of having this guy who was double what you are in muscle mass and stood a good six inches taller than you protecting you because you were his just had me on this high. Go ahead, Zak. Make that little prick piss his pants. But let me tell you, it was all amazing!  
Zak and I re-celebrated our birthdays, since our's were so shitty. I told him I really didn't mind mine being redone. It was just a day to me. I like celebrating other people's birthdays. Zak wasn't going to have that. If we were going to do something, we had to do it right. I had to remember that Zak Bagans never did anything half-assed. I did, but he didn't always let me get away with it. I devoted an entire day for him. We went to a car show they had downtown. Zak loved the hell out of that, as did I. I'm not a girly-girl, so it made it easier to share interests with Zak. That night, we made dinner together, which was a mess, because I cannot follow a recipe to save my life. We had flour everywhere, but his cake turned out to be the best damn cake I had ever had. That night, we laid on the couch and watch _Bram Stoker's Dracula_, the one we had wanted to watch on the plane to Romania. Zak kept trying to reenact some scenes with me, and we ended up in the heavenly, hot make-out session. I don't even remember how to movie ended!  
Also, I got my tattoo. The scar was gnarly and was bothering Zak every time he looked at it, so he designed what the basis of the tattoo would be, had Aaron draw up and sketch, and I went in with Zak to have the sleeve done. On the top half of my arm that had been stabbed, I got a skeleton woman that resembled me grinning wickedly and holding a gun while three zombies lie dead in the background. This was inspired by my zombie dream I had back after the Maizy Theatre lockdown. The three zombies resembled my three instances with spirits that changed me, including my being attacked by Dracula possessed Zak, my possession in Lanark Nursing home, and my accident at in the roundhouse. I know there were more, but these three were the most prominent. The skeleton me was standing on top of a pile of skulls with vampire teeth, which transitioned into the bottom portion of my arm, which is where my GAC tattoos began.  
Around the time August rolled around, Zak, Nick, and Aaron decided to give the viewers and the fans something to watch to explain why they were not getting all new episodes and tiding them over until the season's restart. They thought about filming a special that was in the style of some of their others such as "Wickedest Women, Houses of Terror, and Bloodiest Battlefields." The boys thought about sitting in front of camera and discussing our most dangerous season, but they agreed I would also have to be sitting there talking with them, and none of us really had the patience for it. However, for the airing of the Eureka Springs episode, we were going to do a little bit of this. Nick, Zak, Aaron, Billy and myself would be hosting at episode and filming an intro on why this was the only episode that would air. It was by the request of the network that we do this, but we thought it sounded like a really good idea.  
The boys made an agreement with the network to host a huge radio event that would take place in New York City. Fans could buy tickets, come meet the guys, buy merch, and watch the boys being interviewed and have their questions answered. Nick thought of possibly having a projection screen up and showing the fans just a few clips from episodes that were not going to be aired. It sounded like another good way to bring in more people, as if exclusive radio event with the Ghost Adventures Crew wasn't enough. Since I already had my blogs and vlogs up for the locations, we allowed some of the clips to be posted on Travel Channel's website. Zak loved this idea. He wanted to present how dangerous our job really was and tell fans and aspiring ghost adventurers that this was just as dangerous as any job having to do with crime or hazardous environments or anything that could put your life at risk. That message I know did not transfer well over TV, no matter what the captions said or what one saw happen to the boys. There were still people who thought we were fake, and it was our job to prove them wrong.  
The event was hosted in September. Zak, Nick, and Aaron had their own places at the front table, but Billy, Jay and I were also open for questions. We had to stand by, but we were still included. The day of the event, I noticed Zak didn't talk much. The one who did the majority of the talking was Nick.  
Before the event even started, Aaron was up beside me with a camera in my face filming an Aaron's Vlog. We were out near the back of the room waiting for the event to start. The place was packed with fans, the majority of which being teenaged girls. That pissed me off, but there was nothing I could do about it. Fans were fans.  
I was feeling not so straight today. Billy and I had been picked to provide additional security for the event. We did have real security guards here. Some were in the hallways, and some were standing at the exits. They were wearing navy or black with badges and gun holsters. Billy and I were in semi uniform. We both had on navy t-shirts that said "SECURITY" on the back in big, bold white letters like one would see at concerts and such. We both decided to wear black cargo shorts with tennis shoes. We looked pretty sweet. We had no weapons, unless you counted our phones. We were just there for looks. Billy had suggested we wear sunglasses. Mine were not very threatening, which the plaid arms and all, so I snitched Zak's aviators and wore them along with one of his hats on backwards. Not a very girly look, but more of a tough look. I thought that if I looked like I could pound the shit out of someone, no one would give me any trouble.

"There are so many fans here. Like this place is packed," Aaron told the camera.

"I'm sure we're over the limit for people to be in here. The fire department would shit bricks," I said.

"Well, maybe if we're boring enough, they'll thin out," Aaron said.

Billy approached us, pretending to be all cool for the camera.

"I doubt it, Aaron. Look at all these Zak fangirls," Billy pointed out.

"Oh, that's bullshit, Billy. They're here for me," Aaron said smugly.

I laughed.

"You think we can fight some people off?" Billy asked me.

I honestly knew I could not beat up a single person, man or woman, in this room. However, I would put up a fight if need be. Doubted it, though.

"Oh yeah," I said sarcastically.

I still couldn't believe Aaron had not been recognized. We were standing right beside a row full of people just jumping with excitement to see the guys.

"Well, I better had on back and make an entrance," Aaron said.

"You gonna big step?" Billy asked.

"Hell yeah!" Aaron said, then hugged us both.

"Protect us," he said, then pretended to cry and sniff, "Our lives are depending on you two."

Billy and I laughed. Aaron slipped out through the door and head to wherever Nick and Zak were.

"I got us these," Billy said.

I turned to see Billy holding two long metal flashlights.

"What will we need these for?" I asked.

Billy shrugged.

"It's just for looks. But they do hurt. Aaron hit me with one a few weeks ago and my arm is still sore," he said.

I laughed and took mine. The announcer came out and the crowd began clapping.

"Good luck," Billy whispered.

"You too," I said.

The lights dimmed and the boys entered through a door behind where their table was on a short stage. Nick came through first and waved and smiled before taking his seat in the middle. Aaron came out next and I'll kiss your elbow if he didn't Big Step out of the door. The crowd erupted as Aaron put on his little comedy act and took his seat on Nick's right. It found it weird that Zak was going to be on the end, but I didn't put much thought into it. When Zak came out, my heart stopped. He looked like he owned the building as he cracked a smile for the crowd. The younger women squealed and swooned, and I hate to say it, but on the inside, I was one of them.  
Nick had the floor for the majority of the interview. He answered most of everyone's questions and began talking about the dangers that came along with our job.

"You know, all three of us have had some sort of possession in the passed. Zak has had not only one, but now two exorcisms performed on him because of the evil that attaches to him," Nick said.

"Zak is a demon magnet," Aaron added.

Zak was nodding.

"The first exorcism was at Bobby Mackey's, but the second we had performed back in April while filming. We were in Romania at Castle Poenari, which is the real home of Vlad the Impaler. You know, Dracula. I was investigating with Nick when it happened," Zak said.

"Yeah, we were walking and talking and I turn to ask Zak a question and he is gone. Just, poof! Disappeared. We had Billy and Mikey up there helping us look for him. It was crazy," Nick said.

"That was a really bad experience. You know, I had been a fan of Vlad the Impaler for some time, but now I want nothing more to do with him. When you have a violent demonic possession like I had, you can't not take this stuff seriously. The footage was horrific, I bet," Zak said.

"Nah, we didn't film it," Aaron said.

"Oh! Well even if we had, that footage would have never been available to the public. That was a bad, bad, bad deal," Zak said.

Nick and Aaron nodded. I knew exactly what they were talking about, and I'm glad there was no visual proof of that ordeal.

"But I'll tell you, Romania, if any of you ever have to the chance to visit, do it! It is the most romantic country on Earth. You will not regret it and neither will your lover. It's like Paris, but a million times better. Guys, if you want to take your girl on an amazing honeymoon or your wife on an anniversary vacation or something, take her to Romania. It's a place of love and blood, and girls love blood," Zak said.

I laughed at that as I paced up the rows of people to the stage, swinging my flashlight like I was tough shit.  
A bunch of girls sitting in the front row began to squeal after Zak spoke about Romania. One was screaming as if she had jizzed her pants. It seemed to me like she was having a conniption fit. I looked over at Billy, who was way over on the other side of the audience. He shrugged and twirled his index finger by his head, mouthing the word "cuckoo." I laughed and continued my slow journey towards the front row. Maybe I could scare them and they would chill out.

"I love you, Zak!" one shouted.

I began to approach the first row. I caught eyes with Nick, who began to start laughing. He turned and grabbed Aaron's attention. He burst out laughing.

"Michael, calm down!" Aaron called to me.

Of course, that made the whole room look at me. I kept my poker face and when the girls turned to look at me, a gave then a menacing stare. They had to be like 14 or 15. One actually paled. I guess she thought I was going to throw her out. It was tempting.

"Watch out! Pissed off girlfriend," Nick said, laughing.

I looked up and smirked. Our manager as well as Billy started laughing. Zak looked up at me and laughed.

"Michael, I would rather you not kill anyone today," Zak said, "Come up here."

I shook my head. I wasn't going up there! No way!

"You girls better be careful," Aaron said, "Michael will knock the tar out of you."

I said nothing to them. I was enjoying their silence.

"Michael, come here," Zak repeated.

Camera focused on me.

"I'm not coming up there. This is your interview," I said.

Nick and Aaron smiled.

"Michael, do as your told," he said playfully.

I gave up and walked up to the small stage were a long table with mics was set up for the boys. I walked over to stand between Nick and Zak.

"Michael is our photographer," Nick introduced me, "You guys may have seen some of her work on our blog. She's been with us since the last leg of the previous season. She is one of the greatest friends we've had and a damn good ghost hunter, even though it's usually just us three."

The audience had their eyes set on me. God, I hated that!

"She's been Zak's girlfriend for-how long has it been?" Nick asked.

Zak spoke up.

"God!" I groaned.

Nick looked up at me and giggled. Talking about this in front of a ton of people bothered me. I wasn't embarrassed by it, just embarrassed to be the center of attention.

"Let me tell you guys about Michael," Zak began.

Again, the crew was laughing as I turned around and tried to hide.

"Michael has been a gift to us. She's been such a great addition to the crew and the show and our own personal lives. She's our best friend. She takes care of us. She helps us. She kicks our asses when she has to."

People laughed at that. Zak turned to me, holding his mic close enough where people could still hear him talk. He reached up and held my hand.

"We've been together for what feels like forever. She has been the most amazing person to me. A lot of times when I get in a dark funk, people outside of the Crew can't help or don't understand. It scares them, but Michael dives right into it. She's the only woman I've ever seen chase a ghost down with a pocket knife in one hand and a camera in the other."

The audience laughed.

"She has been through the wringer, let me tell you. Even before we hired her, she's had more than her fair share of hell. When she started working with us, she proved to be a really good investigator and made a really good trigger object, believe it or not. She was featured in the Dunlap Mansion episode, which I promise is not fake. Under no circumstances was that staged."

"That was the most controversial episode we have ever had, but that whole scene was completely unedited," Nick said.

"Yeah," Zak agreed, "That was completely raw, and we learned a lot from that lockdown. But ever since then, we tried to include Michael on a lockdown. She's captured awesome evidence. She caught an apparition at Maizy," Zak said.

"That made us both sicker than dogs," Nick chimed in.

We laughed at that.

"Even before all of this," Aaron said, "We got stuck at the shitty hotel. We called it Camp Bullshit, but anyways."

The crowd laughed.

"And Michael found trouble there. Zak beat the shit out of this one guy. It was amazing!"

"Aaron, stop," Zak said, "That's not the point. As I was saying, after that she ran into family problems that I don't think I myself could overcome, but she did. I just thought that was incredible. After that was her possession, which you will only see half of in the Lanark episode."

"It seems every time Michael went on a lockdown, something bad happened," Nick laughed.

I just smiled at that.

"Yeah, no more lockdowns, Mikey," Zak agreed.

I shrugged.

"Fine with me," I said.

Some of the audience members and the guys laughed at that.

"Michael was the reason we had to cancel the season finale. Do you mind if I tell this story, Mikey?" Zak asked.

"Go ahead," I said.

"Okay, um, we were loading up and getting ready to head on to the lockdown and Michael gets a call from the police department in Fayetteville, Arkansas telling her she needs to come down and identify a body. She tells me and I made up my mind on the spot. I was like, I'm going to go with her and be there. There was no questioning it. I wasn't going to let her fly all the way to Arkansas by herself. We were in Canada! So, I tell the guys. I said 'You guys can do the show without me or cancel it, but I'm going to fly back with Mikey' and Nick and Aaron didn't even think twice about. They cancelled filming and flew to Mikey's the following day. Patch, her aunt that passed, was her only family there and we wanted to support her."

"We hated to cancel the season finale, but this was a little more important," Nick said, "You know, I've had to leave during a walkthrough because of a family tragedy, but this was different."

"Yeah," Zak agreed, "Nick had family to go home to. Michael had us and that was about it."

"She had you, bro," Aaron said, "We couldn't do the lockdown without you and we wanted to support her."

"So, we went down there and stayed with her for a while," Nick said.

"Things started to pick up after that, though," Zak said, "We got back out on the road and had an amazing first lockdown. This was the one that will be airing next month on Halloween night. Michael co-hosted this with us and did an awesome reenactment scene."

"It wasn't awesome," I mumbled.

"Yes, it was, Michael. Shut up," Zak said.

The guys and I laughed.

"Anyways, we got some fantastic evidence from that lockdown. We got touched, we had apparitions of not only people, but also what we believe were objects that belonged to people who died there."

"Don't forget the cat. Mikey and I found a ghost cat," Aaron said.

"Yeah, that too. In the morgue we captured doors opening and Class A EVPs. It was amazing, but the following locations gave us very little evidence. It wasn't until we went to Poenari that we started getting good evidence again, and sometimes with this job, that's how it is," Zak finished.

"Yeah, but we got virtually nothing before we went to Romania," Nick said.

"Yeah, those episodes are not even worth your time. But when we went to Romania, my birthday was on the lockdown day and Michael and Aaron went to a little gift shop in Bristita and bought some cool vampire stuff. Michael bought this big, awesome knife, and stupid me took it to the lockdown and Michael got on the wrong end of it during the possession."

Zak took a breather before he continued. He looked up at me with sad eyes. He would probably never let that go. I reached up to stroke the side of his face in a way to tell him that it was okay and he should continue.

"It almost destroyed us. I will never forgive myself for that, no matter if it was a possession or not because I broke a promise I made not only to myself and to her, but to her late aunt who took care of her when she had no one else. But, this amazing-truly amazing girl here forgave me. She made every attempt to help me get over it. She held me rid myself of my demons that have haunted me since I started this job. She brought love and light into my life and I don't know what I did to deserve someone as good as her. I must have pleased someone," Zak said looking up at the ceiling.

I could not control the smile on my face. I felt like an idiot and my cheeks hurt, but I couldn't stop. Zak stood up and hugged me, making the entire audience go "Aww!"

"Michael, sweetie, I gotta ask you something," he said.

My heart beat picked up and I backed up to look at him nervously.

"It's not anything bad, I promise," he said.

I must have looked scared, because he reached up and put a comforting hand on the side of my neck.

"If you embarrass me," I began.

"I'm not, sweetie. Come here. Come closer," he said.

I walked in closer to him until our stomachs were brushing against each other.

"Where are the cameras?" he asked Nick and Aaron.

"There and there," Aaron said, pointing to the camera directly in front of us and one off to the side.

"Not to mention everyone in here that has a camera or phone," Nick said quietly.

Zak nodded.

"They can't see," he said, "Can we please back the cameras off? Shot from the waist up? I don't want any cameras up close when I do this."

I watched as the cameramen backed up and tilted their cameras upwards. What was Zak up to? Zak rummaged in his jacket pocket. I assumed he was fishing out his phone. I failed to notice that it was already on the table..

"Dude!" Aaron suddenly burst out, slamming his hand down hard on the table.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Fuck off!" Zak hissed at Aaron.

"Zak, are you-" Nick was cut off.

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up!" Zak snapped.

Nick was bouncing up and down and Aaron was chewing his nails.

"What's going on?" I asked Zak.

Zak pointed down to the hand that was hidden from view. I looked down to see him open a box with one hand. He took my hand with his free one and held it tightly. My eyes were not that great, and I couldn't see it until it caught the above lighting.

"What the fuck is that?" I asked, trying to back away from him.

"Michael, don't freak," Nick said from behind me.

"Zak?" I asked, scared.

Zak smiled up at me.

"Michael Tesla Wilde," he began.

"Oh my God!" I burst out.

The boys started laughing. What was in that box was something I bet no one on Earth who knew Zak thought he would ever buy. He kept the box down and out of sight so the cameras wouldn't catch it.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered.

I covered my mouth. I didn't know what to say. Well, it was more like I didn't know how 'cause tears were streaming down my face.

"Aw, Mikey," Nick said.

I threw my arms around Zak.

"Yes!" I cried into his shoulder.

Zak slapped the box closed and wrapped his arms around me.

"Baby, don't cry," he said.

"Did she say yes?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, man," Zak said.

"Oh my God! Finally!" Nick exclaimed happily.

The crowd erupted. Nick and Aaron hugged us, followed by Billy, who had ran up there. The rest of the crew eventually made their way up and joined us in this giant group hug.

"I love you so much, Zak," I whispered into his chest.

Zak tilted my head and kissed me with more passion than I ever had experienced. The group hug melted away as Zak clutched me against him. We parted and I looked up into those deep, gorgeous blue eyes of his.

"I love you too, Mikey," he whispered.

Nick wrapped his arms around me from behind and laid his head against the back of mine. Aaron sniffed sharply.

"You smell that? I told you, Michael. I fucking told you," he said.

Finally. I was finally officially in a real family.


	35. Epilogue: In My Dungeon

**December 24th**

"_On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me  
Five doors slamming!  
Four feet a stomping  
Three different curse words  
Two barking dogs  
And some hardcore metal blasting on high!_"

This is what I was thinking as my feet slid across the tile floor and I ran for the hallway, Zak tearing off after me. I know our neighbors must hate us, especially within the last month. There were loads of cars here everyday and parties and people here almost every weekend. It was insane, today being the most hectic, yet the best day ever.  
When you plan your wedding, do not let your fiance have it on Christmas Eve. This was not my idea. Not my idea at all, but it made for the best freaking Christmas presents. However, we could not plan a trip for a honeymoon. We really couldn't go anywhere anyways, because as soon as New Year's was over, it was planning time for Ghost Adventures. We didn't have time for much of anything after our partying was over. But we were damn well going to enjoy our break, especially our wedding night.  
It sounds stupid. After the reception, we came right home. Yes, that's what we did, and we could have done so much more. We live in Vegas, for crying out loud! But no. It was Christmas Eve, everywhere was booked, and I wanted to spend Christmas at home with husboy. Little did I know that my ass was in for it.  
We had just gotten home and I had just changed into some soft shorts and an old black t-shirt after my shower. My feet ached. My head was starting to hurt. My muscles were sore from standing still for so long. I wanted sleep. I needed it. In the passed 24 hours I had gotten maybe four hours. Yeah, exhausted! I wanted to snuggle up on the couch with Zak and a cup of hot chocolate and watch the marathon of _A Christmas Story_ and maybe even Jim Carrey's version of _The Grinch_, Zak had other ideas...like telling me he had this huge present for me and to go wait for it in the man cave.  
I tore into the room first, bursting through the door and running to the pool table. When I turned around, Zak was gone.

"Where are you?" I called.

Zak shot passed the door and to the end of the hall. The heavy metal blasting through the house ceased.

"Be right back!" he called.

I rolled my eyes and hauled myself up onto the edge of the pool table. I had gotten in trouble for sitting on it before, but I was going to do it anyways. It wasn't like the boys had worn the varnish off. Plus, Gracie had scratched the hell out of it. It could be fixed. Sitting on it wasn't going to hurt. I didn't care if he got mad. I was too excited to see what my present was.  
In running into the room, I didn't even bother turning the lights on. The lights from outside shone in through the window and the hall light was still on, so I could still see, but the dim light made them room a little eerie.  
I was about to hop down and go turn the lights on when the lights turned on for me. My head snapped over in the direction of the door and my heart skidded to a halt. Zak stood in the door frame shirtless with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. My eyes widened as I stared. He had this gorgeous smirk on his face.

"Michael, what have I told you about getting on that table?" he asked playfully.

I didn't reply. My eyes scanned down his bare torso and to his belt buckle. I felt an animalistic growl in the bottom of my throat just waiting to erupt. He breath shortened when I realized that every inch of the masterpiece I was starting at as of today was mine and mine only. Oh dear God!

"You like what you see, sweetie?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Much like when a girl sits down and your thighs spread out (no matter your weight, it still does that and it pisses me off!), Zak's biceps were accentuated, making me claw the table with my nails. I felt like Bruce the Shark from _Finding Nemo_ when Dory's nose bled and Bruce smelled it. I had been holding back for a long time, and it took all I had not to jump his bones.

"Get over here and let me worship you!" I growled out.

Zak sauntered in like the hot shit that he was and stood in front of me.

"I thought that was my job?" he asked playfully.

My body felt like I had been placed on top of a burner on a stove and the flames were shooting straight up my body.

"Shut up," I said.

I reached up and our lips collided together. Zak yanked me into his chest. I reached up to hold his face as close to mine as possible. Zak's soft lips moved against mine and his large hands roamed down my body. I had to break away to catch my breath.

"Goddamn, Mikey," Zak said breathlessly.

I felt my cheeks heat up, reddening madly.  
"Sorry," I meekly apologized.

Zak's eyes turned dark and lusty.

"There's nothing to be sorry about-except that I wish I had married you sooner," he said.

I smiled.

"Instead of waiting three months?" I asked.

Zak nodded. He grasped my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. I greedily dove in for more and ran my hands down his chest, feeling the hard muscle underneath his skin and every swell and crevice. It was like touching a god-god of the paranormal. Wait. Would that make me a goddess? Psht! Anyways.  
Zak took my bottom lip between his teeth. I reached up for his neck and wrapped my arms around him. Zak moved and planted small kisses across my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed as he moved down to my jaw and then to the danger zone: my neck. He brushed his lips ever so lightly over my skin. His hands were on my back, holding me to him. I waited for him to do something.

"Tease," I whispered.

Zak pressed his lips against my neck. I clawed his back and hissed, throwing my head back and arching into him. His hands moved back around and down to the hem of my t-shirt. He lifted it. I broke away from him to duck out of the shirt. I kissed his beautiful neck to keep him off of mine. If he did any more I was going to lose it. I kissed down his collarbone and over his chest.

"God, Michael," he moaned.

I kissed further down his toned stomach and until I couldn't bend anymore. Zak's hands reached for my head and made me straighten up and look at him. He tenderly held my face and smiled lovingly.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured.

I smirked.

"Bullshit," I said.

Zak smiled and returned to my neck, planting kisses up it until he reaching my ear. I felt his teeth graze my earlobe. I accidentally squeaked and gripped his muscular arms.

"Zak," I said pleadingly.

Zak pulled his head up and caressed my face with those wonderful hands of his.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked.

I was going to speak, but I lost my train of thought. He was the beautiful one. He had the most perfect complexion I had ever seen, lips that were now red and swollen from my assault on them, and eyes that looked just like the ocean that he loved so much. He was indescribably attractive.

"You're gorgeous," I said and pressed my lips to his.

Zak walked in between my legs and held me against him as his kissed me passionately. I was reeling.

"What else?" he asked as he broke away for a moment.

Was he serious?

"Ego maniac," I said.

Zak laughed.

"I wanna know," he said.

He gave me this ornery look. Fine, Mr. Bagans.

"And sexy," I said lowly.

Zak smiled.

"Oh yeah?"

"And don't forget, you're my vampire," I said playfully.

Zak let out this sexy growl.

"Cara mia," he said huskily in this beautiful Spanish accent.

He threw his arms around my waist and kissed my neck.

"Oh, shit, Zak," I moaned out.

I wrapped my legs around his waist. Zak's lips sought out mine and his hands moved under my butt to lift me up. I put my arms around him as I remained locked in his kiss and he lifted me off of the table. He parted from me, causing me to whimper out loud on accident.

"I think it's time I show you the dungeon," he whispered.

"I concur," I said and took his face in my hands, continuing the hot, steamy kiss.

Zak carried me blindly to the bookcase and held me with one arm as his other arm reached out and opened it. He kicked it open and walked us in. It was dark inside, with only the fireplace putting off light.

"Down, baby girl," he ordered.

I obeyed the dungeon master and slid down to stand on my own feet. Zak kept his lips locked with mine and laced our fingers together. He stepped forward and pushed his body against me. I moaned into his mouth. He backed us up slowly until I felt something brush the back of my leg. I jumped and looked behind me. On the floor was a mattress covered in white sheets and pillows. I looked back up at Zak. He gently held one of hands and held it at arms length.

"Lay down," he said.

I smirked and sat down on the mattress, then scooted back and laid down. Zak was standing above me, looking sexy as shit. I narrowed my eyes at him and waved my finger.

"Come here, big boy," I said lowly.

Zak got down on his hands and knees and prowled over me, throwing one of the soft sheets over us. He leaned down and kissed me softly before he moved down to my jaw, throat, and collarbone. My heart rate picked up as he placed soft kisses down my chest. I am 24 and no, I have never been in a situation like this-especially when I wanted to be in it too. I had no problem running around in just a bra, it was other things that made me nervous.  
Zak skipped over my bra and trailed kissed down my stomach. His hands softly ran over my bra. I had no idea what I initially thought, but this definitely amazing. Zak's lips moved to the sensitive skin of my scar. It tickled and I arched my back. Zak came back up slid his hands behind my back. I felt nervous at this moment, but when Zak's lips molded against mine, that anxiousness melted away and I no longer cared that my bra was off on the dungeon floor. In fact, he caused me to gain a little confidence and I got a little more aroused.  
...And dammit! I wanted those pants off. So, I slid my hands from his shoulders and reached down for his belt buckle. I blindly unhooked it and Zak reached down to finish. All the while, he glorious lips never disconnected with mine. He yanked down his jeans and boxers and I helped, grabbing his baggy jeans with my toes and pulling down his legs. Zak hooked his fingers into the elastic waistband of my shorts and panties and slid them both down. I clutched Zak closer to me and kicked those suckers off. They got lost within the sheets.  
Zak pressed himself into me and petted my face with his long fingers, which now possessed a brand new ring.

"Michael?"

"Yeah, Zak?"

Zak gave me this loving smile that not only made me melt, but turned me on even more so.

"Tonight, I'm going to worship you," he said, this look of desire and pure love in his eyes.

My eyes fluttered shut as he kissed me and shifted his hips upwards a tad.

"Mikey, if I hurt you or you don't feel right or whatever, kick my ass off," he said.

I laughed at that.

"Zak," I said softly and cupped his jaw in my hands, "I trust you."

Zak smiled and his eyes lit up.

"You do?"

"Completely," I said.

Zak gave me this boyish grin. I propped myself up on my elbows and held one of his cheeks as I whispered in his ear.

"Now, show me what you can do, big boy," I said cheekily.

Zak groaned and took me into his arms. At that first instance of connection, I felt my eyes roll back into my head. Zak pushed into me and stopped, waiting for me to adjust.

"You alright, sweetheart?" he asked.

I nodded and gripped his biceps. Zak took this as his cue to continue and pushed deeper into me. The feeling of him alone was enough to drive me over the edge. If he moved, I was going to go insane! Let me tell you, the boy was as gifted there as I was in the chest. Someone was having a good day when they drew up the blueprints for a Zak Bagans.  
Zak pulled back and began to thrust slowly and softly as he planted sweet kisses on my collarbone. I groaned and clutched him impossibly tighter to me. His pace was almost teasing, and I knew he was wanting to be gentle, but I wanted more.

"Zak, I'm not made out of glass," I said playfully.

Zak smirked at me. He lifted himself up, placing his hands into the mattress as he picked up to what I considering to be the normal speed limit.

"Mmm, God Zak," I moaned.

I reached my arm backwards and clinched the sheets in my fist. Zak straightened himself and clutched my hips, lifting me in a way where I knew my back would be sore, but at the pleasure I was in right now, I didn't care. I clutched my legs around his waist and pushed in to meet him. I had very little lower bottom strength at this angle, but I tried.  
Zak reached down and stroked my cheek.

"Michael, I want you to be the one in ecstasy. Just lay back and relax," he said seductively.

"Oh, no! I'm not letting you have all the fun," I popped off.

I caught up in time with his hips and swirled mine. He let out this desperate cry that shot straight through me.

"Damn, girl," he breathed out.

I threw my head back into the mattress. I felt the pit of my stomach twisting and I knew soon I was going to reach my point.

"How is it, baby?" he murmured.

My eyes were closed as I enjoyed this.

"So good," I moaned out.

Zak kissed me and sat back up to resume. I opened my eyes to see his head thrown back and his hips grinding and rolling into mine. He looked like he was in as much pleasure as I was.

"Zak," I breathed out.

"Yes, sweetie?" he asked.

I watched him for a minute in awe. The man looked like he had fallen straight out of Asgard. He could be Thor if he was blonde. No, really! Or maybe a buff Loki. Wait, no! Balder! The Norse god of justice that was known and loved for his beauty. Yeah, that was Zak.

"You're a god," I said breathlessly as burning rounds of ecstasy began rolling through me.

Zak growled and bucked hard into me. I gasped and clenched hard around him.

"Oh my God, Michael!" he shouted out.

He thrusted deeper into me, making me cry out.

"Harder, Zak," I pleaded.

Zak did as he was told.

"Yes!" I hissed out.

I could feel myself getting to the point of getting there and Zak knew it. The man could read me like a book, so I should not have been surprised when he suddenly stopped dead.

"Oh, come on!" I cried out.

"What?" he asked playfully.

"You are such a tease!"

Zak smiled.

"Aww! Sweetie, no. I'm just trying to get you good and wound up," he said.

I bit my lip to suppress a whimper, but it didn't do much good.

"You're doing a pretty good job of it," I grunted out.

Zak smiled and kissed me, sucking on my bottom lip.

"Come here," he said.

Locked on each other's mouths, Zak lifted me up into his sitting position.

"Hold onto my shoulders," he said.

I felt him slide even deeper into me. I moaned loudly and bit down on his shoulder. The amount of sheer ecstasy about had me in tears. I held onto him desperately as he began to move himself into me again. This was a whole different sensation. Part of me was extremely glad that I had been fixed up a long time ago, because I was enjoying feeling every inch of him immensely.

"Hnn. Zak," I breathed out.

Zak picked up his speed much faster this time. I reached the getting there point much faster, and I knew it was translated on my face. Zak gripped my hips and he moved faster and harder within me.

"Come on, baby girl," he urged.

I clutched his shoulders tightly and buried my face in his neck, kissing his damp skin.

"Oh, Mikey," he moaned.

"Zak, I'm so close. So fucking close," I growled out.

Zak's hands flew from my hips to my cheeks and he kissed me hard, our tongues tangling together briefly before I back off, trying to keep myself under control and let this last as long as I wanted, which was forever. I wasn't going to last that long, though.

"I know, baby. Mikey, look at me," he said.

I rested my forehead against his and looked into his eyes. They were pleading me to let go.

"You beautiful, sexy, amazing girl. Come on, sweetheart," he said.

I closed my eyes, my whole body trembling. In one swift motion, Zak ducked under my chin and clamped down on my neck.

"Zak!" I screamed out.

I came hard on him, clamping down around him and digging my nails into his shoulders, causing him to lose it.

"Fuck, Michael!" he whimpered.

The feeling of his eruption had me wanting to climax all over again, but I don't think I could do it again after the first powerful one.  
Zak gently laid me back down and thrust into a few more times as he rode out his ride. My body was electrified and every little touch, every sensation, had me grinding back into him. Zak buried his face into my neck, panting hard. I turned my head and kissed his temple. With the way he was angled, I could see his back tattoo. I loved how the wings of the reaper moved with his shoulder blades as he breathed, making the tattoo come to life.  
Zak finally pushed himself off of me and held me in his strong arms. He kissed me tenderly and then looked at me with a look of love and contentment. I smiled at him as he moved a strand of curly nonsense that was stuck to my temple back.

"I love you, Mikey," he said.

"I love you, too, Zak," I replied

Zak's watch beeped. He lifted his arm to look at the time.

"Well, what do you know? It's midnight."

He smiled down at me and kissed my forehead.

"Merry Christmas, Mikey Bagans," he said softly as he stroked my cheek.

I smiled uncontrollably. That had such a nice ring to it!

"Merry Christmas, Zakula," I said.

Zak smiled and held me tightly to him. We fell asleep like that in front of the flickering fireplace below the mantle of skulls.

This is it.

_This_ is why I am here.


End file.
